Yes, It's Me Again
by The Villain's Vindication
Summary: Slade/Robin slash drabbles and short stories. (discontinued due to lack of readership)
1. Birds are Built Broken

A.N. Hello everyone, it seems to be the new fad, to have a Sladin Drabble story, so here's mine. I will most likely expand this one plot with another chapter and after that you should expect to read whatever randomness comes to my mind (so that's why the rating's M, just in case). I love using quotes from the show especially when I can twist them to work for me ;) so all the _"blahblah's"_ are quotes, okay?

Pairing: Slade/Robin

Disclaimer: if only, if only...

* * *

"I just don't get it," Cyborg said shaking his head, "the dude falls into a pit of lava, burnt, melted, _disintegrated_… and he comes back."

"I know!" Beastboy spoke up, "maybe he some sort of freakish, mutant, zombie from the 4th planet in the Zebulan quadrant!"

Starfire's face creased in concentration as she tried to figure out if such a planet existed; Raven sighed and blocked out the others with the pages of her book; Robin…

… Robin sat in the center of his bed, away from the others, curled up with his head against his knees.

__

"There are no generators! There is no Slade!"

'But I knew better, I knew he was still alive… he _had _to be,' he placed his hand over his heart and coiled tighter into himself, 'I could feel it.'

In the overwhelming joy the team had felt at Trigon's defeat, they hadn't even thought to analyze the return of their arch foe. Now they all found themselves at a loss. They'd heard nothing of Slade in the past few weeks since the battle, but he was out there somewhere, and he was certain to be plotting.

'I knew there was no way that he would die, could die and leave me here as… nothing.'

Robin is the Slade hunter. It's his job, his purpose. It's all that consumes every vein of his mind, every thought, every mood tainted with his presence. How could a world exist with a Robin but no Slade?

It couldn't.

…

**I died  
So many years ago,  
But you can make me feel  
Like it isn't so,  
And why you come to be with me  
I think I finally know…**

…

The team had often gone out and visited the stone statue that was Terra's grave. Beastboy and Robin were always the ones who lingered long after the others had returned home. Then Robin would linger longer still, waiting for the moment his green friend transformed and flew home; that was when he would jump down over the ledge Terra crowned.

In the twisted, black rock formed when she stopped the volcano's eruption there lay another, less impressive memorial. The shape of a mask decorated the rock, carved with a careful hand and accurate in a way only long hours of study could provide.

He had done it with the edge of his own bird-a-rang.

The routine was the same every visit. He would sit there for hours, letting his fingers trace over the face that haunted his dreams. He would try to think of what to write to commemorate the man who had fallen here.

He never could think of what to say.

The pain had crippled him far to much.

…

'He's... gone...'

That singular feeling still pulsed heavily within him as he lay coiled in his bed. Like a wide open crack had split his chest, crushed his heart: the moment he watched that mask dissolve into the magma there. Reliving it again in his mind he could hardly breath through the weight of that wound.

He couldn't remember anything else from that day. Maybe it was the shock, the adrenalin, the sheer denial that had made his body continue on and save his team. Whatever it was, when it wore off, alone in his room, that gorge in his chest blinded him with such agony that he screamed.

No tears fell from his eyes, for it wasn't a _sadness_ he felt. But he trembled and tore his hair and screamed his throat so raw it bled at the all consuming _pain_ of it. A piece of himself had been viciously torn from him, and he wasn't certain he would ever be able to get it back.

He screamed in ways he hadn't since the death of his parents.

…and yet,

Somehow he knew, he _knew _it wasn't over. Slade was unlike his parents in every conceivable way. He was, he was…

'Fuck, I still don't know what he is.'

__

"Who is Slade?"

But he _had _learned. He learned that who or what Slade really was didn't matter at all. Slade existed. He _lived_, just as Robin did. And that was the truth, no matter what the others had told him.

And he had been _right_.

…

**You're scared  
Ashamed of what you feel,  
And you can't tell the ones you love.  
You know they couldn't deal.  
Whisper in a dead man's ear,  
It doesn't make it real…**

…

The months after Slade's death were sheer torture. He mourned and grieved... and pretended it was all for Terra.

Of coarse he did feel badly for her, ending the way she had, but his emotions towards her were so mixed. She had befriended them, tricked them, betrayed them, saved them… and she had _killed him_.

His fists clenched so hard he bruised his hands at the thought.

She killed _him_.

But hope was a tenacious thing, and it broke him a little more each time it arose within him, only to prove a lie.

In those months every time the alarm went off, hope clouded his chest and made his heart race. Every time the tower had flashed red he had thought, 'Could it be it _him_? Has he come back? What's he doing now?' And he would sprint to the computer to bring up the live feed from town,

Only to be crushed once more.

…

**I know I should go,  
But I follow you like a man possessed.  
There's a traitor here beneath my breast,  
And it hurts me more than you've ever guessed…**

…

And he had been so surprised, scared, relieved… _happy _when he saw Slade alive once more. Even as he came after Raven with an iron fist.

When it had been simple hallucinations from Slade's toxin, his mind had been far to muddled and influenced by the drug for him to comprehend anything. He hadn't been able to... _appreciate_ Slade's rise from the grave the way he could now.

Now that it was real.

'Monster,' he looked at his bright green glove and his bright red shirt, 'Monster how can you think this way? How can you compare his death to that of your parents? How dare you… _care _for him.' Suddenly it was as though the colors burned him and he franticly tore them off, flinging his clothing in every direction, utterly destroying his uniform.

__

"All you care about is destruction!"

"And all you care about, you destroy."

He kneeled panting, naked upon his bed, his delirium passed. 'I can never wear those colors again. I can't be _Robin _anymore.'

'But then what else is there for me?'

__

"So… Nightwing, hmm?"

'Yes... that's it, Nightwing.' He moved over to his dresser, suddenly filled with energy. He slipped on his civilian cloths and slipped out through a secret door into the night. 'A new name, a new existence.' Then he remembered where Raven went when she was trying to discover herself, 'the tattoo parlor.'

Logically speaking he couldn't get a tattoo and keep a secret identity at the same time, the villains would connect the dots all to easily. 'But piercings,' he thought, 'those I can grow out if I want to, and they are much more common.'

He smirked as his feet pointed him into town. He was feeling adventurous, rebellious, brave…

He was feeling more like himself than he had in a long time.

'I'll find you Slade, and, maybe when I do, I'll finally be the person you always knew I was. I'll finally be able to... tell you...'

…

**I can lay my body down,  
But I can't find my sweet release.**

…

And sitting back, watching his monitor, Slade let a smirk of his own grace his lips, 'that's my little bird.'

…

**Let me rest in peace.**

* * *

A.N. So there you have it! I know it is short, but I always think that Robin's mind contemplates in short, irrational bursts that lead quickly to action, so that's how I wrote it. His reason for becoming Nightwing (in my fantasies anyways) is because of the changes to his character Slade caused, not some shallow jelousy or anger at Batman.

The bolded lyrics are from the song "Rest in Peace" from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer the Musical. The song just reached out and yanked my attention in this direction. And the reference to Raven and the tattoo parlor is from the original comics when she gets the tattoo of a black raven on her lower back, just f.y.i.

Review please!


	2. Epitaph Injection

A.N. IMPORTANT!

Quote, the last line in "Blessings:"

"They then slowly drifted off to sleep, entwined in each other, knowing, that with blessings or without, they would always, always, be together."

Everyone here has read Wynja's "Delightful Drabbles" and she dedicated chapter 56 "Blessings" to me! :bows in honor: The final line of the story struck me with a particular idea (dark and much unlike the tone of "Blessings"). And now I have taken that and expanded it into a drabble of my own, so very big declaimer here: The universe in which this takes place does not belong to me! The fabulous Wynja created the wedding, the ring, and whatever other similarities you find! However, I did come up with the plot myself so that is mine.

Do not expect my work to be anything like Wynja's! Our styles are exceedingly different.

Have fun reading and be sure to review!

* * *

**Epitaph Injection**

By: The Villian's Vindication

Dedicated to: Wynja

_____________________

The man long since called Deathstroke the Terminator trudged up a small knoll, surrendered under a downpour. His visage was mostly disguised by a long trench coat, but the diminished presence he held was not so easily shadowed.

Stone that once stood proud and pristine white, now crumbled and gray, sprouted from the ground before him. He lingered long moments before the monolith, gazing upon the one mark that lay carved in its face:

The image of a bird in flight.

Carefully kneeling among the cold raindrops, he placed a single red rose upon the monument. A gold ring decorating his smallest finger flickered as if in recognition.

He shrugged his coat up higher on his shoulders, caught suddenly by the chill in the storm about him. With one last look, he turned silently towards the decaying remains of a city that stood before him. A highly advanced space craft hovered there awaiting his return.

Climbing in, his determined gray gaze looked to the stars and he launched off to return home.

* * *

Robin gasped sitting up suddenly from the damp bed sheets. He panted for a moment, glanced over to his partner he had most likely woken with his startled movements. The pair of them had nightmares often enough that they had agreed not to confront one another over them. Slade would pretend to still be sleeping and would likely drift off again soon enough.

Richard would not find it so easy.

He looked down at the engraved ring that had been his source of calmness and stability for this past while. Now he clutched the hand baring it close to his chest and curled around it in fear.

always, always, always…

The simple word meant such different things to himself and his husband. Richard's life had been so filled with chaos and adventure and romance lately that he hadn't, for a long time, taken a moment to just contemplate things, the way he used to do for hours on end in Titan's Tower.

It seemed his subconscious finally caught up with him, forcing him to think upon those thoughts locked deepest in his mind, those fears.

always…

Had that vision been simply a dream? A nightmare? Or most frightening, a prophesy? Once more his eyes fell to the heavily muscled back and mess of colorless hair that defined the man who was his everything.

Deathstroke, the Terminator, Slade Wilson, was, for all intensive purposes, immoral and… Richard trembled with the knowledge that…

he was _not_.

Of coarse he had always known this, but in his seemingly endless youth, worries of his own death were few and far between. With his brash, head-first approach to his and Slade's "business" he had always just taken it for granted that his death would come swift and early. So, why worry about it?

But, what if fate had other plans?

Was he to grow old and frail in the arms of his godlike lover? Was he really going to leave Slade alone to face eternity?

always…

His eyes narrowed as he tightened his hold on the symbol on his finger and on the resolve in his heart.

_No. _

He refused to allow it.

With a third and final glance along his Love's form, Richard slipped out of bed and out the door. He turned, making it seem as though he went to get a splash of hard drink to help him get back to sleep, but instead he backtracked silently and sprinted to the computer lab. There was research to be done.

And with that Dick's quest for his own immortality began. It was to consume him body and soul in the way all of his obsessions seemed to. He would see to it that he and Slade would rule for all of infinity.

He traveled from the jungles of South America to the markets of India, always incognito. He hid his tracks from everyone, even Slade. The man surly wouldn't understand this desire; he probably wouldn't allow Richard to even try.

With each ancient protection talisman he unearthed and every forbidden text he read, Richard felt more frustration than anything. What was the secret? How could he make this work?

always...

* * *

_**In the Ensuing Months**_

**___________________**

Slade wasn't certain how or why, but he seemed to be losing Robin.

Each day, week, month, his bird longer locked himself alone or slipped out, mysteriously disappearing for indeterminate amounts of time. He had thought after the marriage that their bond would be stronger than ever, but instead he found it crumbling.

And this did not please him.

As much as he cherished their romantic relationship and as much as he fought himself not to regress back to the master/apprentice farce they had shared previously, there were few other avenues remaining to hold onto what was his. And Richard _was _his, whether the boy wished it or not. Slade was not about to relinquish his hold, and violence the only method he knew. So violence he would use.

For long he had respected Richard's right to privacy, but that time had now passed. He glared at the black steel door attempting, in vain, to reign in the shadowed anger that frothed hot in his chest.

He was finished being slighted.

Slade punched in the security code to open the door and felt the final levies holding him in check burst as he was denied entrance. _In his own home. _Adrenaline scorched trough his veins as he smashed in the key panel and ripped the door open with his bare hand. Richard sit on the other side in front of the large screen he deemed more worthy of his attentions than his husband these past months.

_No longer._

"You will tell me now, do you think me a fool, Robin? I am not blind to the treachery you seek under my own roof."

Dick faced him with narrowed eyes rimmed with red... with guilt, "what do you think you're doing, Slade! I've done nothing but work myself to the bone for you! For years now! And you cannot give me the time to follow my own goals? This has nothing to do with you!"

Before Richard could even think to blink, Deathstroke had him by the front of his shirt, slammed up onto the cold metal wall. "You are really trying to lie to me after all this time?! Haven't you learned by now that you can never, ever slip a lie past me? I may not know what you have been killing yourself over these days, but I can easily see how little regard you have for me!"

"My every regard is for you!!" Richard shrieked as he gasped for breath in the unrelenting grasp, "everything is always for you! I think of nothing else!" He moved his ringed hand in front of Slade's eye, "this means we are equals, Slade! You can't treat me like this!"

Deathstroke growled and flung the boy harshly to the ground, "you have, and always will, belong to me. I may treat you however I wish!"

"Slade! Stop!"

Richard was left crying out into the night as Slade took him right there on the floor. Tearing the colors off him in rage in place of excitement, forcing into him after so long being apart, letting the leaking blood ease the way of his rough thrusting, the lovemaking of their wedding night seemed now but a sick parody.

Richard was left gouging lines in Slade's chest and arms with his nails, sobbing, but able to do nothing. Unrelentingly, Deathstroke drove his anger... his sadness... into the small body beneath him until his cum seared Richard's inner walls, poisoning him.

But deep in his mind, Robin knew that there was often much loss necessary to gain a decisive victory.

___________________________________________________________________

**On Computer Screen: **Trails on serum code R32R083 have yielded successful results.

* * *

_**One Week Later**_

**______________**

"always, always, always, always..."

Truly, Slade thought, he ought to have seen it coming. Of all the ideas of what was keeping Richard distant from him, for what ever clandestine reason, this had never once crossed his mind.

But now as he gazed on, mouth gaping in horror, as his little bird drove a wicked looking needle deep into his chest, into his heart, and injected a metallic orange liquid clearly never meant to enter the human body...

Clearly, he should have seen it coming.

Mind blanking out with fear, he streaked over to Richard's side, scooped him up from the floor, and pulled out the syringe. Using his voice activation robots, he had them prepare the emergency room as he ran towards it. He scarcely allowed himself to wonder if it was too late.

Of all the dumb, stupid, idiotic, Robin-esk things to do... Tears stung stubbornly in his eye, his little circus fool. He placed Richard on a gurney and worked in coordination with at least five of his robots to get Dick hooked up to life support, the i.v., and everything else possible to keep him alive.

He tried and failed to block out the image of Richard smiling up at him, obscene streams of blood flowing from each corner of his mouth. The boy's body began convulsing right as his eyes rolled up into his head, and Slade thanked whatever higher power had granted this small bit of mercy.

Slade himself had been fully conscious during his entire procedure.

Taking a deep breath, Slade asked the computer to pull up the last files Richard had been using, hoping to find the exact formula the boy had employed. He finally allowed his emotions to topple him over in exhaustion.

He looked over at Richard, fighting back the need to vomit at the sight. His seizing limbs had been strapped down and, really, there was nothing else to be done. Nothing but to wait and to hope as never before that Robin was more like himself than he had ever dreamed. The boy had to pull through this, he had too...

...but the odds weren't good considering Slade was the only man, _man _not boy, out of hundreds that had survived the trial...

Slade buried his head in his hands, helpless and hopeless. After his loss of control a week before, he had stormed out, locked Richard in the computer lab, and left him there. He had frankly been appalled at his own behavior and sought to contain Richard until he could figure out how to deal with him properly.

How could he have ever thought that mere bolts and steel were enough to cage his bird? Obviously the boy found a way out and found, in his months of recluse, a drug that wasn't supposed to exist.

Slade knew why Richard had kept this "mission" of his secret. If he had known, he would _never_ have allowed it. He would have fought and argued and not let the boy out of his sight. He would not wish this existence on anyone, even if it meant having to watch his Love grow and die. And now, he may not even have that.

Screams the like of which he had never heard tore from Richard's throat, a song that would last for hours to come. Slade tried focusing on breathing... and on his revenge.

The military had gifted him with this power, this curse, mostly against his will but he had been a soldier. It was his duty to the country, they said. But this was beyond what he could have imagined. Even as advanced as Richard's mind was, there was no way he could have concocted the serum himself. Which means he had stolen it. Which means, even after the public "termination" of all super-soldier programs in the government, the bastards had continued with their works. They even had the vials in stock.

Slade slammed his fists down on to the arms of his chair, heavily denting the metal. This batch, if Robin's files were to be believed, was not the same as his had been. Modified and changed, Slade had no idea what the effects might be.

If Richard survived, that is.

Richard faded in and out of consciousness for two unbearable days. His stats were all over the place, even off the charts, and he never managed anything more than indecipherable slurs when trying to speak.

His heart stopped three times.

Finally, _finally_, on the morning of the third day his eyes had opened... blank as slate. Deathstroke broke down in tears then, for the first time he could clearly remember.

This cousin of the serum that had driven him a bit mad, had apparently totally decimated Richard's mind. It was so wiped completely clean that the boy could scarcely even talk. He was now an empty shell.

The perfect super-soldier.

As he cradled the empty doll's head, Slade looked into the glassy blue eyes and drooling mouth and swore to himself that he would get his Robin back. He would reteach the boy from scratch, all of their memories, all of his training, everything. He clutched Richard's limp body close. No matter how long it took, he _would _get his bird back.

They did now, after all, have all the time in the world.

always...

**___**

**End?**

* * *

A.N. Don't kill me please! ;)

The "always's" in quotation marks in the beginning of the last section were whispered by Robin as he injected himself. 0.o

The code for the serum: R32R083 that he used spells out "red rose" if you really squint at it. -.-

Review!


	3. Coined

**Coined**

By: The Villain's Vindication

* * *

A dark chuckle, a narrow glance, the singing of metal, the heat of dripping blood, the snap of bone…

* * *

Slade Wilson lay on his back in a small boat watching the stars, feeling the waves kick up and around his vessel. The pricks of light above him were vast this far out from civilization but the darkness remained thick and close. Probably because it was emanating from inside him.

He frowned.

He knew he needed moments like these, moments alone to confront himself. Locking back thoughts has only ever lead to one destination, insanity.

And his self loathing would not leave him be tonight.

A bit of ocean spray cooled his face and he finally in his solitude pondered what he fought most.

_I wonder if Jericho is alright…_

The music of the waters held no answer for him.

_Would he come to me if I reached out to him?_

He scoffed at that. If it were he in that position he knew exactly what he would do. His son would not act much differently. He had no place in the boy's life.

…_Addie… Grant… Rose…_

Thoughts flooded him now. Time eased their pass but Slade was never one to forget his failures. She would have made the perfect apprentice… the perfect daughter, if only she had done what he told her instead of having to resort to…

He frowned again. Would there ever come a time when that burning need for perfection would end? Could he ever just _live_? After his most recent "death" it was a question he struggled with often.

After the fiasco with Rose he had sworn off women but Robin had just made him so angry. Furious to the point where he fell over that forbidden edge of sanity for a bit. Terra was a mistake, petty revenge poorly executed, but in the face of his greatest failures hardly worth mentioning at all.

_Robin_

The word triggered more reactions than he would ever admit outside his own mind. After all these years all of his knowledge and wisdom had built him up, protected him, but his little bird was made of something special. He wasn't like his sons or his daughter, not like his wife or his lovers, but he was important. Inescapably important.

_After everything I've done to shield my mind from the tragedy and horror of this world, from insanity itself, he is the only one who could make me lose it all. _

He wanted to give his bird _everything_.

_Why?_

Boat swirling around, he remembered the information he uncovered just before he left. Robin had been arrested for murder in Tokyo. Murder. The boy had a restless darkness within him, that much had always been obvious. He had left the Bat because that black and white, good and evil, view of the world held no place for a grey like him. It made him all the more difficult to control too.

Unlike Terra, weak and pathetic, soaking up anything to get the love she lacked, Robin's life was full of companionship. It would take so much more than a vague promise of a family, drugs, or technology to even get him to _listen_.

But Robin knows himself, knows his darkness, what he sees as faults in himself. Fissures so sharp the tumble in is so _easy_. Watching the video footage from his jail cell the boy hadn't even looked _sorry_. But something always nets him from that edge, something more than mere companionship.

_Perhaps I can no longer so pride myself on my control. My little bird fights who he really is on a daily basis and __**wins**__. It's the greatest control I've ever seen._

And maybe that was the crux of it all. Only Robin could control Robin. That perfection would never be under his hand…

But the net was gaining holes, his boy had become increasingly unpredictable and, it seemed, less in control. If there was anyone to step in and remind Robin who he is, it was Slade.

_But I am not made for saving… only metal, blood, bones, and breaking… Jericho…_

He had his failures just as anyone does, but he apologized to no one.

He took a deep breath of crisp salt air. It had been days since he began floating freely on the sea and his thoughts were finally becoming circular. This was how he knew he had to get back to the _doing_. As much as he needed the rest he also needed the action.

Slade checked the tiny GPS in his hand. He had drifted quite a ways out from the coast of South America where he began. He powered up the small motor, the entire bottom of the boat filled with extra gas to make sure he made it. Not that he couldn't swim the rest if he didn't, swimming just wasn't something he enjoyed. He came out here because it was the only place where he could have total peace, but he much preferred dry land. Far less variables involved.

As he headed for shore he thought back to the photo from Robin's cell and the strange twinge in his chest when he saw the blood dripping from his face and the cut over the boy's mask… over his right eye…

* * *

unyielding ambition, unapologetic power, inescapable control, perfect logic, immobile… a cage.

* * *

Bruce sat in his cave, damp and alone, and wondered about Richard. The unnatural light from his computer sharp in the darkness of the underground, reflecting off the stone dome above him making it appear closer than it was. He was confined, safe.

It was here that the news finally reached him about his ward's mishap in Japan.

He frowned.

_Richard is losing it. I wish I could ask him to return… but even the asking is too ridiculous to think of…_

The boy would never give up his freedom, not for anything and especially not for a checkup from Bruce. Their parting had been ghastly, harsh cries about responsibility and childishness, philosophy and reality. Richard had even struck him before flying out into the light.

It was one of his greatest failures letting him go. The boy needed to find his own way, but he could not handle himself alone.

_Why can't he see that?_

The Batman did not think much on his failures for it would truely drive him mad if he did, even for a moment. But for Richard, he had held on for just awhile, just a bit longer. Bruce was relieved when the boy had gathered a group of friends, a team. Luckily they were of good influence on him; they kept him grounded.

_Mostly…_

Richard was a different breed from the rest of them though. Even more different still, from the millionaire himself. At first it just looked like regular teenage rebellion, but it was obvious now that it was something simmering deep in the core of who he was.

A group of bats swooped in from the other side of the waterfall diturbing the usual calm of the cave, the solidity. Bruce let his head fall in his hands, the noise breaking him from his mindless stare at the screen. On nights like these he wished he could just sleep, but he never did. He sighed inside the moist earth.

He felt… feels responsible for everything Robin does. He trained him after all. But Gotham was an even greater responsibility, one he could never trust to anyone else, even for a moment. He had to give every last breath to containing the evil that bred in these streets. He barely had moments to ponder like this, what if right now he was missing his chance to save another life?

_It's never-ending._

But he had to touch base with the boy if nothing else. He might not be able to end villainy but he still might be able to prevent it.

_Has it really gone so far already?_

Along with the report and film from the arrest Bruce also uncovered a highly encrypted file on the Titan's mainframe. So encrypted in fact, that it just begged to be opened.

_With disturbing results_

Scrambled, almost unintelligible, almost _psychotic_, notes, photos, drawings, reports, scribblings, even _poetry_… all about one man.

This Slade character was an even bigger influence on Richard than any of his teammates had ever been. The man was a sociopathic villain far more wretched than the usual goofs that plighted Jump City, and Bruce had watched on with increasing ill as their interactions made one thing completely clear:

Slade was custom fit for Richard's… grey, as it were. The monster was exactly what the boy _didn't _need.

The silent breeze of the night chilled him. Batman had to go now, action was the only deterrent. He pulled on his cowl and restocked his belt thinking all the while of that one picture frame from the prison, and of how he clenched his fists at the sight of blood all the way up both of his ward's arms…

* * *

A.N. There are a few things I love to see in Sladin fics: Batman, Jericho (and the other Slade children), outerspace, and character development. This might have more chapters to get in all my favs. We'll see.

The sentence between the lines is one of the ramblings Bruce found in Richard's file. One where he is trying to answer "who or what is Slade?"

Until later!

-Vindication


	4. How the Mountain Bows

Disclaimer: Somehow I've been missing these… oops. I do not own or profit from Teen Titans, Titans Go, Cartoon Network, or DC Comics and the use of their trademarked characters.

Note: This is tied to the last drabble Coined, and the first one with real plot. The setting is a couple years after the final episode, so everyone has been given time to grow and change a bit.

How the Mountain Bows:

...

Part 1

By: The Villain's Vindication

* * *

Once there was a mountain…

* * *

Slade wasn't one to contemplate his own death much. Was there a point in doing such a thing? But ever since he first found his little bird, his relationship with death had gotten severely more… intimate.

A comfortable bed molten lava did not make.

And now, as he regained consciousness, his blurred eye took in the thick metallic purple and bubbling toxic green traveling in thick tubes attached at ports placed all over his body… _into_ his body. He seriously considered if the boy's association was really worth it.

The drill going through his chest didn't _tickle_.

Fighting through the incredible pain, he recognized that he was standing up… or well, suspended vertically as it were. He had a mask over his nose and mouth having him breathe god knows what, but with the _pain_ that was the least of his worries.

Breathing at all was a struggle.

The drill looked about five inches in diameter and was slowly grinding through the dead center of his chest. It seemed totally made of automated machine as no one else could be seen in the pitch black room. The only light came from the flickering lights of the technology.

Slade coughed up purple into the mask.

_Great_.

…

Unconsciousness reclaimed him.

* * *

"Why are we sitting here? We have to go out there!"

"Dick please, calm down," Batman rubbed his temples in frustration.

"Be calm? We've just been told we're to do nothing!" Richard was literally yanking at his hair with all ten fingers. Batman sighed, feeling the same frustration as his ward. He walked around the table and began slowly detangling the digits from the boy's ebony locks. "We have intel on these aliens, and everyone, including Superman, is working up in the JL satellite to get communication opened. They have been through multiple planets already and seem to leave them just as well as they found them. They do not pose much of a threat."

"Except maybe to the PRISONERS THEY TOOK! YA THINK?" Richard returned to his hair pulling.

"Yes Robin," Bruce placed a hand on his shoulder, "but when there is a threat of total alien invasion and they instead take only twelve people and leave in peace? That is a blessing."

"But they are citizens of Earth-" "and we are doing all we can for them," Batman cut in. "We cannot risk attacking them with the weaponry they have aboard that giant craft. They would certainly kill the prisoners then, even if just threatened with violence. That's why we're trying for peaceful communications."

"I can't… I can't just sit here Bruce… I can't…"

The man's grip tightened, "then go find something to do, but do not, under any circumstance, go after that ship." Richard seemed to deflate under his hand, "ya… right." The boy stood up and gave the millionaire a look the other man didn't quite understand.

The Batman watched on as a red motorcycle sped off into the night, wishing he had more time, better time, with the other man. This was not the way he had envisioned their next reunion.

"Be safe… son."

* * *

Always fearing insanity, one of his greatest fears actually, being driven to it was not nearly as much fun as he would have thought. As Slade waded back and forth from the depths of pain and alleyways of his mind the most inane things were the _only_ things he could focus on.

_I wonder if that last teacup I broke was ever cleaned up; it'll be attracting ants by now if it hasn't._

Every bone in his body felt like it was built of bruises, every vein, every blood cell like it was made of icy daggers.

_I hope none of that junk gets in my hair. Purple hair is so unprofessional._

Insanity, it seemed, was unbecoming on Slade.

* * *

Richard flew through the streets on the R-Cycle deliberately ignoring all safety laws, even driving the wrong way down highways in defiance.

The laws didn't protect the people; _he_ did, so he was allowed to drive as he damn well pleased. He was _so angry_. This touched that blackness in his heart, that part that hated when he watched Two-Faced walk into a prison cell instead of a casket where he belonged.

The part that _hated_.

He had reached Jump City, stopping in a shadowed out ally he looked up at his tower and wondered, not for the first time, how Bruce could have let him design his own base. A giant T? Really? After lurking in a cave he supposed his childhood self felt the need for flash and exposure, but now he could see how venerable it was. All the villains of the city had secret bases, _hidden_ bases, and they were all the stronger for it.

He scoffed, how could he be thinking of this now?

Perhaps, because he was debating returning to the pompous structure at all.

He knew his friends were watching the situation closely in there, everyone was. They would be updated by the JL if something happened, it was the perfect fortress to strategize and research…

To do _nothing_.

That would have been enough not long ago. Richard would have buried himself in work, listened to Batman, "found something to do," but now that was no longer enough. How was he to look for action when he already knew in his heart which course had to be taken?

He turned off the motor and hopped off his bike. Kneeling he pressed two fingers lightly underneath the gas tank and revealed a secret compartment. Inside was the prototype to the Red X suit and thus lacked all the specials toys and Xenotheum power system, but it was also a lot safer due to that. Actually most of the weapons it carried had been lifted from his Apprentice uniform. It was black, reinforced with armor, cape-less and mask-less, and most importantly _totally unrecognizable_.

He changed soundlessly. Taking one of the S shaped shuriken and cut a strip off the bottom of his Robin cape, puncturing two holes into the fabric as well. He turned the cloth so that the black side faced outwards and tied the rough mask around his head, the excess hanging behind him flickering from gold to black in the wind.

The T stood silent, still waiting for his arrival.

Any other time, _any_ other time, that focus and drive would have been enough… but not now. His team mates would never let him leave their sights let alone attempt anything this suicidal. Because he couldn't just _do nothing_.

One of the hostages on that cathedral of a ship was Slade.

And the same piece of his heart that wanted to _murder_ Two-Face, wanted... desperately... to _save_ Slade.

* * *

Garfield noticed the sudden tilt of his love's perfect face. "Raven?" She set her book down as the others turned to her, the small crease in her forehead was worrisome to them all. "It's Robin… he's gone."

"WHAT!" the room exploded, but Garfield remained uncharacteristically silent. He noticed the slight, telling smirk tugging at her lips. She always did enjoy dramatic monologs… whatever those were.

"Well, I mean he isn't _dead_ or anything," she flashed a smile before becoming somber once more, "but he's made a big decision, a dangerous decision. I can feel him through our connection. I can feel his… certainty about the choice too though. Language is too shallow to describe emotions."

Starfire floated to gaze out across the city, "he is alright?"

"Yes he's fine, he feels a bit guilty though… almost like he took something…" Cyborg turned to the computer and checked the security systems.

"…The T-Jet!"

* * *

Flying low and slow to avoid radar and wasting fuel, Richard first navigated to an abandoned field not far from the city. He might be known for jumping straight into the fray, but he did like to have a plan ready first

…sometimes.

But if there ever was a time this was certainly it. Landing the craft he took a quick survey of his supplies. The food stocks in the ship were minuscule at best, mostly cruising snacks for trips to visit Titans West. So there was really no margin for error as far as his timeline went, he had to be quick. Another factor was being caught by Bruce before even getting off the ground, but he trusted his friends. They had never given him up before, not even during his apprentice days when they thought he was the enemy, so he had no reason to doubt them now. Even so, the millionaire might be expecting a move from him.

He had to be extra quick.

Another pitfall was, he had discovered, the T-Jet was much more difficult to pilot on his own than he had anticipated. It was built for five and he felt the absence of each like the loss of a limb. He would be truly alone in this. On this train of thought he broke open the control panel and yanked out all monitoring, tracking, and alarm devices. He chucked the bent up pieces into the grass; he had no time for finesse here.

So… no time and no help, what did he have then? He checked his weapons. The uniform's belt was stuffed full of everything from the usual shrunken to a small laser stun gun, all courtesy of Slade of course. But this was an advantage for once, if discovered during or after the rescue he would look like an agent for Slade. An employee or a partner to the man, not involved with the JL or their attempts. He could only hope that would be enough to keep the aliens from attacking in retaliation.

He also stocked one of his newest creations: a bo that changed size with a twist to the center. It could extend up to twenty feet and Richard planned on using it to cross the cell where Slade was sure to be held. He had no idea what kind of alarms and sensors would be in the room, but suspending one's self was usually the best bet.

He would be walking into this totally blind.

He began pulling his hair again.

Well, every alien race seen so far had to breathe in one way or another, so there had to be ventilation shafts throughout the ship. Those would be the simplest way to move about undetected as they would have to be some kind of serious paranoid to put monitors in the airways.

And with that systematic beginning a viable plot began to form in his mind. He never stopped to wonder why he was doing this at all. It was a part of his behavior that had been subtly changing for awhile now. He used to be so obsessed with the whys of everything, but he was finally starting to let go. Why is the most unanswerable of all questions. It bogged him down, thick and heavy, and was, in the end, pointless. There were no more whys for Richard, only the now.

This is what I am doing and I am going to do it.

_There were no more whys_…

* * *

And a river thundered through it...

* * *

Even during Trigon's reign, Richard was certain he was not this stressed. Even the word stressed was laughable in its ineptness to compare to the situation he was in.

More like facing the whole of the League of Evil on his own.

He had miraculously made it onto the ship undetected. He paused for a breath in the cramped air shaft wondering how in the world the Justice League hadn't detected him. Of course he had been careful in his approach, but really how hard was it to spot an orange space ship heading in the direction of the enemy craft you have both eyes on?

Maybe they thought it belonged to the alien ship itself… or maybe they were on a coffee break. Richard scoffed quietly, both options were equally unlikely.

He was panting for air, which was worrisome because he only had a limited supply. He didn't want to risk the chance that this race breathed carbon dioxide or something equally as toxic. The pack on his back held the oxygen tanks… and Slade's mask.

While inside Titan's Tower he had picked it up from the evidence room. Careful study of the device taught him that it actually filtered air. He hoped it would be enough for the man, the oxygen reserves were barely enough for himself.

And he had been wandering these pipes for some time now.

Then there was a moment, a moment within a moment in which he heard it, a breath other than his own. He frantically followed the sound and came upon a grill into a chamber. There was a… well a something inside and it didn't look to be in very good condition.

Was Slade even alive?

Backtracking he saw the pattern of short pieces of shaft and grills to rooms parallel to this one.

_Finally_.

He silently checked each one, until he caught sight of his goal. It actually took him a second look before he realized it was Slade. At first he felt a thrill at finally revealing the man's face, but from this angle it was impossible. The man's head was hanging down…

_Not lifelessly not lifelessly not lifelessly_…

And all Dick could see were flickers of light, almost silvery hair blinking in the darkness. Gathering himself back up he began his predetermined routine. First he removed his mask, this lock was made to hold oxygen breathers, so they should hold breathable air. Heaving a great sigh after his first successful breath, Richard almost began laughing. What a gamble he was taking.

Nothing here was certain.

_Alright, first alarm test_.

He contorted around to an improvised sitting position and pulled his pack into his lap. Easily finding the small flashlight inside he turned it on with his hand over the light. Aiming it into the room through the vent, he allowed one quick flash to penetrate the darkness before concealing it once more.

Pause for a breath.

Nothing happened, there were no light sensors.

He let it shine freely now, looking into the room he couldn't hold back his horrified gasp at the sight of Slade. Drowning underneath wires and tubes, the man looked more machine than human.

_What have they done to you?_

Placing the flashlight into his mouth, he slowly began to unscrew the vent and caught it before it fell to the ground. He rearranged himself once again, moving the grill inside the air shaft behind him and pulled out his modified bo. The vent came into the room just to the right of a corner in the room, so Richard set the weapon in that nook about ten inches from the ceiling. He turned it carefully and watched with sweat dripping from his brow as it extended across the room to the other corner.

Sighing again as he tested the strength of its hold, he wondered how he had gotten this far considering how often he forgot to breathe.

Flipping up onto the pole easily, Richard hung there, upside-down, for a moment to orient himself. He reached back to get the grill and replace it just as it had been before. It would slow down his escape time, but if there was a time that he would be caught it was now. So it would be better to leave as little evidence as possible.

The adrenaline was really running him now that he was so close. He inched down the metal towards Slade, careful not to touch any wires or other alien wares. Hooking his knees around the bo he swung down, literally coming face to face with the man, his great adversary.

And the man looked back.

"And now I'm hallucinating... and to think I was just wondering how this day could possibly get any _better_."

"Slade," the rejoice in that breath was more than Richard would ever admit to, "I'm not a illusion. I'm here to rescue you." He replied, obviously there were no sounds alarms in place which made sense. He could imagine that the prisoners made... noise... during their procedure or whatever it was.

With no other options, Slade took a moment to study him and Richard just barely suppressed a shiver at the intense scrutiny. "And do you have a plan for this _adventure _of ours?"

"Of course, I have these small explosives," Richard moved as he spoke, attaching them to the tubes and wires, "and they're set to all go off at once. Then we'll have to move quickly as I'm sure there are tons of alarms placed on them."

"And... I expect... you have an alternate route to escape other than that hamster tunnel you just crawled out from?"

"Uhh..." the hero looked over his shoulder at the vent, only now realizing just how tiny it was, especially in comparison to Slade's broad physique. "Umm, yes, I... hmn..." Now, without his mask, Dick could actually _see _Slade's smirk. "If I might interject... the ceiling looks rather... unprotected."

That fucking superior, lazy drawl, it just made him want too... "Quite..." he huffed and pulled himself up to press his hand against the large tile.

Nothing happened.

Alway fucking _right _about _everything_... "Right, well I'll unscrew this one, get ready to move in... three... two..." The tiny bombs all went off, breaking everything including the mask supplying unknown gas for Slade to breathe. Immediately the place filled up with lights and sirens of all sorts loud enough to make the eardrums tickle. Richard leaped down and handed Slade his mask, hoping, not for the first time, that it would be enough for the man. Shrinking his bow down, he stuck one end to the floor and the other through the hole in the ceiling and climbed up. "Come on Slade! Hurry!"

Looking much more himself with the orange and black metal back in place, Slade broke off what he could of the added attachments before gripping the pole.

He made sure the boy couldn't see his hands shake.

The thundering of footprints could be heard.

"Slade!" The man chuckled, he had missed that sound. Rolling his shoulders once to feel out the kinks, he hauled himself up into the darkness. Richard retracted his bo and replaced the ceiling tile, hoping, _again with only hope_, that it would take some time for the security to notice the missing screws in the panel. Franticly crawling away from the room, Richard practically drug Slade out of range of any heat sensors they might scan the area with. The man eventually began keeping up on his own as Dick calmed down somewhat when they weren't immediately discovered. The space narrowed until they were army crawling on their stomachs. Even this was risky for the oxygen mask Dick had put back on could easily break if scraped. From their point of entry, the boy had spotted a dim light and had them heading for it.

The alcove they reached was large enough for Richard to sit up in... mostly.

Here they had time for a breath.

* * *

But the mountain would not bow.

* * *

_So... I don't know where I am, or even _when _I am. I have been... experimented on... and the entire situation is made more serious by the fact that my little bird came alone._

_Great._

"Slade look," the light in the nook of metal barring they currently occupied came from a small break of a vertical tunnel. "A ladder, I bet that leads to an escape pod."

"What happened to the one you came here in?"

Richard scratched the back of his head, "well, see I couldn't figure out a way to cloak it, and done any other way it would have been discovered long before I located you so... I destroyed it." Slade just stared at him silently. "There was no other way!" Dick continued to defend himself, "this ship is moving in a predictable way, so I just left the T-Jet hovering once I ejected, and the plasma engines moving this hunk of metal incinerated it nicely. Besides I couldn't let my friends get involved in this. I'm really going to owe them for doing that ship in, it was expensive! I'll take all the heat for this since it was all my doing anyways..." the boy babbled talking with his hands in his nervousness. After a moment he just shut up and looked over at his target of rescue.

The man was out cold.

Richard checked his pulse and breathing to make sure the man was...

_Not dead not dead not dead..._

And pulled his head up into his lap. Everything seemed fine, he wasn't gasping for breath so the mask was functioning as it should. It was most likely the shock of being unplugged from that foreign stuff. Richard again wondered what it had all been about, that image in his mind, that first glimpse of the man hanging and violated, it wasn't one he would ever be able to forget.

It made him sick.

Slade deserved a moment's rest if nothing else, so he let him be while he worked on making that crack into a legitimate passageway.

They were getting out of here.

* * *

Climbing the ladder was Hell. All the adrenaline had finally worn off sitting there cutting a hole into the sheet metal, and exhaustion was rapidly taking its place. Every muscle burned, but whatever he felt Slade must have felt ten times over on top of whatever side effects he was experiencing. I almost scared Richard how slow the normally indestructible man was moving, so he had to be strong and keep going.

Even if he couldn't see an end to the ladder above _or _below him, and he didn't even know if they were going in the right direction...

_Ughhhhh!_

"Giving yourself a concussion will hinder my escape." Richard actually laughed at that one, "alright alright." Stepping up once more a new light caught his eye, "hey, I think I see it!"

"Get moving then."

Once at the top they were met with a locked door and a button panel. After graciously allowing Richard one minute to try and decode the thing, Slade, equally graciously, smashed the controls. The door unlocked and together they were able to pry it open.

When pressed into a corner, even Slade's elegant genius allowed for a little foolish aggression.

Richard was not ashamed to call what he did to get into the craft a flop because he honestly didn't have the ability to move around in any other manner. So, flopping into it, he just managed to crawl into the cockpit seat and resumed his study of the technology that Slade had previously impeded. He should be able to fly this... should anyways.

Slade sat down with only a bit more grace than his bird and watched on as he tinkered, ready to stop the boy from pressing any of the more obviously important keys. Alarms were sounding all over them now, all over the entire ship really. Looking out from the window is seemed as though the space craft itself was shifting in search of them.

Maybe it was.

"Alright we have to shove off now or they're likely to disable all escape pods," Slade nodded once, awed yet again by the boy's super charged learning curve, and held on tightly. The round ship took off sharply towards Earth on what seemed to be an autopilot. Richard pulled out the front of the control panel and messed with the wiring inside until the uncontrolable careening became a gentle float. "Well... count me as impressed, little bird."

Richard sat back with a huff, why did stress always make you stop breathing? He turned and smiled with a bit of pride and the acknowledgment. For the first time in what felt like days he could pause and think about everything.

About how Slade's true face looked.

"…We met before," the amazement obvious in the boy's voice as he connected the dots.

"So it would seem." It was nearly a year ago now, Richard had been walking the streets of Jump alone and unmasked. Now with only the crudest of disguises on, the bright blue color of his eyes was obviously recognizable to Slade. The man who lay behind him was then only a stranger. The man's truck had been caught in the Titan's most recent struggle with Plasmus. Richard felt a bit guilty as he saw white hair disappearing beneath the hood and had immediately offered his assistance.

"_Sir? I know a bit about cars, could I help you out?" The grease streaked hair turned to him, "I think I've got it covered." _

_"Oh really? Than this isn't a problem then?" Richard replied good-naturedly as he dislodged a piece of foreign goo covered metal. "I suppose it is no longer," the man smirked, "thanks kid."_

He continued to help catch the little globs of muck the man had missed in the engine even after he discovered that Wilson, as he called himself, was actually quite unexpectedly young. But after all the strangeness he dealt with on a day to day basis, Richard could hardly be surprised by hair color.

_We were right next to each other and never even knew._

Richard looked back and saw the man had lost his battle with consciousness yet again. Thinking on his feet he knew they needed a remote place to hide out and heal, a safe place far from people and government eyes. He smiled when he realized he knew the perfect place and flicked open his communicator, "Jericho… hey, I need a safe house to hide away in for awhile, and I think your beautiful mountains would work great. Can you help me out?"

He almost laughed with relief at the merry nod he received from the other boy.

He had done it!

* * *

Once there was a mountain...

* * *

End of Part 1

AN: Whew... man. First I would like to thank all of my reviewers especially FlyinBison, Wynja, and that one great review from the ever beloved anonymous. Reviews are what inspire me to write more so be sure to if you like the story so far! I've been working on this for awhile now, and yes there is obviously a second part, but with college starting up again I don't know when, or even if, I'll be able to update this. I just wanted to at least get this part of the story out there if nothing else.


	5. How The Mountain Bows: Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Teen Titans, Titans Go, Cartoon Network, or DC Comics and the use of their trademarked characters. I do not have any money, please do not waste your time on suing me. K? Thanks.

How the Mountain Bows:

...

Part 2

By: The Villain's Vindication

* * *

Once there was a mountain...

* * *

Once he navigated safely through the mountains, Jericho lead him to a flat patch of rock just next to a cave where he could land. It would be the perfect spot to hide the stolen craft. Radar wouldn't detect it this far in the metal ore stone.

Richard jumped out of the machine before Jericho thought to come look inside. He wanted to keep his… guest a secret for as long as possible. The last thing he wanted was to tangle the other boy up in his own mess… well at least any more than he already had at any rate.

The view was spectacular; Jericho paused and let Robin take it all in. He was used to living in the clouds by now but it was also impossible to take the beauty of his home for granted. The fair boy touched Robin's arm gently, he loved his solitude but he would never say no to this great leader's company and he was excited to show him around. Sensing his impatience, Richard laughed quietly and followed him down the grassy path. A small house quickly came into view accompanied by a garden and what appeared to be baby goats.

When his first internal reaction was _"aww… cute,"_ Richard knew he spent way too much time around girls. He shook off the moment and swiftly over compensated by commenting on the architecture of the building. The place was really only built for one, the fact that it had a guestroom squeezed in was a surprise. He would have to give up his bed to Slade.

Only until he stopped fainting all over the place that is.

He turned and smiled at Jericho. Even after all the time he'd spent with the disabled he still found himself treating Jericho as if he were deaf as well as mute. It was something he planned on working on while he was here.

"Thank you so much for this. You have no idea how… _desperate_ my need for a place was. I'll compensate you for whatever w-… I use here. There is one _small_ issue though," he winced and looked away. "I might have maybe done something I really ought not to have, and I might be in a little trouble for it. I would be in your debt forever if you kept me being here a secret?"

Jericho smiled and looked around the unpopulated area as if it say, "who would I tell?"

Richard smiled and laughed nervously. He knew that when, not if, Jericho discovered Slade the vast emptiness of the mountains might not be enough to contain the secret.

* * *

The cold of the ships metal seared his hand as he pulled himself out into the pitch black of night. Slade finally just let himself fall onto the rock a couple feet beneath him.

If he was going to die it sure as hell wasn't going to be in the trunk of a god-forsaken space ship.

He vomited.

There was no _way_ this was happening… _no way. _He panted for breath and tried to get a hold of himself. Why was he panicking so? What was with the dramatics?

One final deep breath puffed out into the cold. Alright, he shifted up onto his elbows and rested his head on the stone beneath him in a hope to alleviate his headache.

And, promptly got an eye full of the gaping hole in his chest. Oh yeah, that had happened. He finally had time to think and he remembered the drill. Blood oozed from it in unnatural clumps, more like paste than blood. It was also vaguely green.

Oh yeah, that had happened too.

Slade felt like he had the IQ of a five year old with their head injected with cement. He remembered now the green and purple liquids flushing his system. What the _fuck_ had happened to him?

He was getting angrier and more desperate by the second.

…that wound should have _easily_ started healing by now…

* * *

By the time Jericho was fully asleep Richard was beyond his wit's end. It had been dark for hours and who knew if the man had awoken or up and left or _died_…

_Nonononononono_

This was Slade he was thinking about! You could probably chop the man's head off and he would just look up at you exasperated and insulted at the attempt and tell you how you _should_ have done it. But still…

Dick sprinted back up to the cave. _Stupid stupid stupid_. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He really had no medical knowledge as Raven and Cyborg dealt with the patching up side of their business. And in the middle of the fucking mountains? And what exactly did he think was so genius of him to bring them here anyways? Jericho was going to flip his nut when he saw one of the most notorious criminals just hanging out in his house… _Christ_.

His breath left a trail in the thin mountain air as he ran. Coming up onto the faint outline of the ship he slowed down a bit, narrowing his eyes in a sad attempt at really seeing the strange craft.

Suddenly he saw the hull in a quite studied detail. Richard even feared he lost a tooth in his assisted inspection of the metal.

"Shlade!" He slurred as best he could, mouth half smashed as it was.

"A brilliant deduction, my bird," a heated breath curled around his ear. Slade had the boy's right arm twisted about behind his back. Using his free hand, he thread his fingers through that wild black hair to keep Robin in place. "Now… you are going sing me a little song… where are we?" He pushed the arm in his grasp a bit higher.

"Ah, the Andes Mountains!" Dick gasped, his face being ground into the frozen ship he could feel the hot blood of a split lip slipping over his chin. "Chile! The Andes Mountains in Chile! I don't know the exact coordinates I was in a bit of a hurry!"

"…Hmn… and you just decided to take us here on a whim, I suppose?" It was not really a question, but Richard deflated and stopped struggling against the man. It really _had_ been such a stupid last minute thought. He should have _prepared_.

All that could be heard for a moment was their staccato breathing as they both gathered their thoughts.

Slade finally settled on the most prevalent question, "have you secured a place for us to stay?"

"Yesh, you know it's easier to answer questions when not being half strangled?" He wriggled his shoulders in a sore attempt at getting comfortable in the man's grip.

"Yes well this is really more of an interrogation than a tea and crumpets conversation-"

"I will answer your god damned QUESTIONS! JUST LET ME GO!" The stress and frustrations and pain and terror of the day finally just burst forth from him uncontrollably. It actually felt good, better even, as the man did release him… mostly.

Stepping away from the landing site, Slade kept one arm pined as Robin caught his breath. "It's this way, not far," he slowly led the man to the cottage. As silently as he could he showed the man upstairs to his room. The absolute last thing he needed was for Jericho to wake and see him as his own prisoner's prisoner. At least, that's the story he had formulated to tell the blonde, that Slade was his prisoner. Obviously not one of his best lies to date.

_Ugh! Nothing is going to work out..._

* * *

And an icy wind flew over it...

* * *

Once in the room, Slade released him and closed the door. The man more grateful for the cover of darkness than ever before. He knew even his bird's sharp eyes couldn't see the damage to his body he could clearly feel was there. Robin could never see him while on his last leg as he was. If it came to it he would leave after the boy was asleep. Robin deserved better than to wake up to a scene from a cheap horror film, especially after risking and enduring so much to get him out of…

"What _was _that space ship I was in?" Richard collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion, giving in a bit to the gravity of the day, "well, that's quite a story" he started. He pushed himself back against the pillows as he nervously watched Slade's outline sit down on the floor and lean against the wall near the bed. He still hadn't gotten to see to the man's wounds, though he doubted he ever would now that he was conscious.

"According to the Justice League's intelligence, it is the last remains of an ancient alien race. Their name translates into something like 'Ancients,' and toting such a name they come to think that they know what is best for the universe. They even go so far as to say that they are 'the guiding hand of creation,'" Robin mockingly performed air quotations around the phrase. "Apparently they float through space and whenever they come across a life bearing planet they take samples…" Richard paused while remembering the horrific sight of Slade when he first found him in the ship, being treated like a sick lab rat. His chest burned with the repressed anger from that moment.

His eyes had adjusted a bit, and from what he could see the man looked fine. Rolling his shoulder a bit he winced; ya, from what he could tell Slade had made an unnaturally good recovery from the experience… but still…

"In most cases, at least recently, they see to kidnap the more advanced specimens. Genetically faster, stronger, and smarter than the general population... but still stupid enough to get caught," Richard chuckled as he felt the man's glare. "How did that happen by the way?"

Slade chuckled himself, "well boy… I might be inclined to tell you if you finish your own tale first."

Robin rolled his eyes, now thankful for the darkness for surly the man would have his arm twisted again, pressing his face into the mattress to suffocate him if he could see.

Heat crept over his cheeks at the thought. The chemistry between he and Slade had always been... strange. Some sort of heaviness in the pulled punches, a question in the stare, a denial in the sharp edge of a blade. There was something just under the surface that refused to be defined. He barely knew the man, but one thing he did know was that, for some reason, he was important to Slade.

And Slade had made himself important to Robin.

Now that Richard had embraced his whole new "more actions, less philosophizing" idea, his thoughts of the man became more... action related... and still more confused than ever. He was desperate to breathe in all that Slade was. He was willing to take whatever the man gave him broken bones... or a broken heart. He knew no good could come from his connection to the assassin, no happy ending.

But for some reason that didn't matter.

He covered up his embarrassment by starting in to the story again, and Slade was thankful for the return of the distraction. The truth was he had absolutely no idea how he ended up on the craft, and now every second he forced himself to stay conscious took a lifetime of his strength. He hadn't even caught the moment when his precious bird had complemented him, in an indirect way of course. Faster, stronger, and smarter indeed…

…but still stupid. That little stunt he pulled when he press-ganged Robin was a bad idea from the start. His bird might be waking up to a corpse after all…

"-in one of the rooms near yours I saw another alien species captive. We didn't know what would happen, if they would keep the victims or kill and discard them. It appears they were trying to alter them in some way, maybe trying to control the evolution of the race or some such rot."

"And here I thought we were dealing with a real threat… not a cast of self-important gardeners," Slade commented, focused on keeping his voice strong and the façade up.

"Gardeners?"

"From what you described, yes. Pruning the outstanding members so that the rest might flourish? Gardening… pure and simple…" Robin truly laughed at that, laying back down he relaxed into the quilt beneath him. He was fairly certain he had nothing to fear from Slade, tonight at least. The man wasn't one to kill someone when they were down. He yawned and stretched.

"I'm not done with this interrogation…"

"Oh Slade, I saved you life today. Doesn't that earn me at least one night's rest?" Robin whined.

Slade seemed to think it over, "hmn… perhaps a few hours respite…" Richard rolled his eyes again before letting his heavy lids fall. He would take whatever time he could get. "But I expect full disclosure in the morning."

"Yeah, yeah… whatever you say..." The young hero waved Slade away and was quickly asleep. His consciousness was no match for the brutal fallout of the day.

* * *

Slade knew that they were not alone in this building. It had been all to easy to see as Robin tried desperately earlier to sneak them in quiet and unnoticed. So either this other person or people did not know Robin and he were bunking in their home for the night or... more likely... it was just his own presence that was unknown to their host. Slade really couldn't imagine Robin landing in a place he did not consider safe for himself, and it was obvious that they had no pleasant mutual acquaintances.

With the taste of vomit still lingering in his mouth, he knew he had to find at the very least a bathroom. And with the knowledge that there were potential enemies in this place, he would need to take extra precautions. God knows he couldn't fight off anyone in his current state.

It seemed he had finally stopped getting worse, but, at the current level of dysfunction in his body, Slade was pretty sure that "stable" was not where he wanted to be. He had most likely stopped get worse because he was now _at _his worst. Slowly he levered himself up onto what appeared to be a small bookshelf.

_What a pity..._

He now had a prefect view of his sleeping bird. Straightening as best he could, he allowed himself a moment to watch the small chest raise and lower with each serene breath.

_I finally have him... here on the edge of death... at the edge of all things. Here where I've finally realized my ruin... and realized that I cannot have him._

_I cannot destroy him as I did everyone else._

_I won't allow it._

* * *

Slade staggered out of the room, squinting in the darkness until he found a small door, a closet. He huffed and leaned against it for a moment to catch his breath. Across the small hallway was another door. There was more of a risk that it was the bedroom of his unknowing host, but he had to try.

Dragging himself along the wall he made it to the door and slowly turned the knob. Peering in he sighed in relief, a bathroom. He flicked on the light and closed the door behind him.

The mirror was not kind to him as he gripped the sides of the sink. Pale, exhausted, scared... He reached up and touched his mutilated face. Along with all of his armor and weapons, the aliens apparently saw fit to take his eye patch as well. Strange that Robin did not mention it.

He splashed his face with cool water before finding some bandages and cheep antibiotics in a medicine cabinet. Downing the pills, he pealed off his shirt and got to work on bandaging the wound in his chest. But at the first honest eyeful he got at the hole... he griped the sink again. The flesh was red, inflamed, and STILL bleeding. He took his time cleaning it out in the sink, he did so as quietly as he could, still not looking to rouse any unexpected guests. Once his chest was wrapped in the already pinking cloth he tore free a small piece to create a makeshift eye patch. Looking at that scar had, to him, always been akin to staring straight at Addie...

...he couldn't stand it.

_Wait... Addie..._

That's right. He'd been reminiscing, protecting his thoughts and his sanity among the briny waves.

_Vulnerable_.

That must have been when they took him, though he still couldn't remember any of it. He looked into the depths of his single gray eye until he could count ever familiar fleck and shade. What was different? What had those bastards done to him? He took a drink from the faucet when the thought struck him like a blow to the head.

_"...control the evolution..." ... "pruning"_

_No._

The blood drained from his face. No, they couldn't. He stared hard at his own face as if he could see the change in his genetics if he just _looked _hard enough. His superior intellect: his thoughts had been coming to him at an unacceptably sluggish pace but he had been so certain it was just the pain... the fatigue. His inhuman strength, speed...

His ability to heal from _any _wound.

_No!_

He thought back, back so long ago in the army. What had been that first test? That first marker that the serum had changed him for what he thought was forever?

He took a deep breath and then held it. 2... 4... 6... 8... 10... 12... 14... 16... 18... 20... 22... 24... 26... 28... 30... 32... 34... 36... 38... 40... 42... 44.. 46.. 48.. 50.. 52.. 54.. 56.. 58.. 60.. 62.. 64.. 66.. 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102 104 106 108 110 112 114 116 118 120122124126128...

He gasped for air.

_NO!_

The average man could hold his breath for one and a half minutes. AVERAGE! He couldn't be just thirty seconds over _average_.

Not but a day ago he could have stood there for over ten minutes without breaking a sweat.

_Average..._

His mind quickly filmed over with a bloody rage. He was going to _murder _every single last _one _of those fucking...

His feet gave out beneath him and his head struck the porciline toilet bowl.

He vomited again.

Gritting his teeth he forced himself to stand. Rising his mouth out once more, his eyes narrowed in determination.

_I WILL kill them all, and I don't give a FUCK what my body has to say about it._

* * *

But the mountain would not bow.

* * *

End of Part 2

I know, I know, don't kill me please. This is short and unedited and terrible, but I really wanted to get _something _out there before the new year rolled around. As always much love to my viewers and reviewers. Comments and ideas are always a big help.

Until next time!


	6. Fix

Disclaimer: I don't own any copyrighted materials. This is just for free entertainment.

Fix

...

By: The Villain's Vindication

IMPORTANT! This story is based on Wynja's Termsverse where Robin, Slade, Speedy (now called Arsenal), and Red X rule Echo City. I KNOW that this would never happen really, I just enjoy screwing with the status-quo. ALSO if you have read the Titan's comics or just know about Arsenal, you should know that he is a huge heroin addict, but there is no explicit drug use in this fic.

ENJOY

* * *

Arsenal and Robin flew across the roof tops together. It felt good to have a partner again, though neither of the men would ever admit to it. They both spent so much of their lives trying to get away from and forget their 'partners' the Batman and Green Arrow.

Such traditional heroes could never understand _true_ vigilantes like themselves.

But this was so much different because, although Robin was no doubt the more skilled of the two, they really did work as equals. Arsenal doing what he could from a long range, and Robin doing his part in close combat.

In the fighting, however, Robin found that Arsenal also had a darker side to him that he hadn't ever glimpsed before. Perhaps he should have recognized it with how easily the 'hero' had accepted him and Slade. Maybe it was even due to his own darkness and Slade's bad influence that let a more… _hazardous_ Roy out of the box.

Arsenal had watched Robin kill, even helping him at times. Robin wondered when, not if, Roy himself would begin taking lives. The boy worried him sometimes that way. Slade didn't watch over him, didn't teach him with an iron fist the way Robin had the opportunity to. Arsenal was just a notch out of control.

It wasn't much, but sometimes such things only took a little push.

Robin should know.

He was sure Red X was only exacerbating the problems on that end. The thief was hardly a good influence on respect, responsibility, and control. The pair of them just did whatever they wanted.

Whatever _felt_ _good_.

Robin was thankful that Roy was so determined and adamant in his hero work. As long as that held fast the man would be alright, Robin reasoned.

The two of them had quickly formed a regular strategy in their heroics. Both of them knew their parts down to the second. Robin never thought it strange that it all worked together so well so quickly. After all, they had fought together as Titans. He did worry at times that he had _too_ much fun, though, when out with Roy.

The rush and emotions felt when _killing_ someone couldn't and wouldn't ever even touch the feeling of _saving_ someone. Even when they weren't patrolling, they enjoyed talking to one another. Robin found that when Red wasn't around Roy was actually _intelligent_. Who knew?

He and Slade were inseparable, a true part of one another. When they fought as partners, they fought as _one_, not two. But, as he and Roy burst out laughing together at the look on their opponents' faces, he felt a pang that it's not something he ever did with Slade.

But of course, one person could never possibly fulfill all of our needs. It ridiculous to even ask such a thing of them. So Robin didn't feel too guilty…

_Most_ of the time.

* * *

He and Roy sat close together on one of the higher sky scrapers in Echo. It was a cold night and the wind wasn't helping matters much, so the leaned on one another, just a little, for warmth. Robin handed the red head what looked like a juice box and they both enjoyed the sight of the city's lights and relative silence as they drank.

The concoction inside the innocent looking boxes was something that would _probably_ be illegal, if anyone else knew about it that is. It's something Robin and Slade had come up with recently, a type of energy drink formulated specifically for the kind of night-time work they did.

"Green Arrow called," Roy almost whispered. Robin turned to look at him, "what did he say?"

Roy sighed and leaned his forehead against his knees, "not too much. Being in the JL he's of course talked to Batman-"

"And of course Bruce told him everything," Robin guessed angrily. Arsenal just nodded, a sad smile on his face, "ya just… and, you know, the predictable lecture ensued…" Roy's voice sounded rough though. No matter how predictable it might have been Robin could easily imagine some of the terrible things that might be said. Arsenal curled in more on himself. Was he going to _cry_?

_Damn it._

"Have you talked to Alex about this?" Robin really thought this was something the archer's boyfriend might be better at comforting.

"Do you often reminisce about Batman with Slade?" Roy turned his head to look at Robin with a sardonic smile on his face. "Ah.. touché my friend," Robin returned his smile with a real one. They sat in companionable silence for awhile after that.

Robin shivered after a particularly zealous wind whipped around them. He was actually beginning to miss his stupid cape at a time like this. At least he could have used it as a blanket. I guess I'm just too used to always having Slade around to _warm me up_. Unfortunately the man hadn't been around much lately. With Echo so thoroughly in their grasp, Slade now spent a lot of time away from the city expanding their enterprise. He was somewhere overseas at the moment.

_So far away_.

Roy's mind was on something that took his mind far away from such pains… He looked down ashamed to even be thinking of it. Red would be so disappointed. He had been so stupid, but it had felt so _good_ and… well… He needed something good lately.

He couldn't very well do that with Boy Wonder here though, the merc was hardly a saint but… _drugs_… were something that the ruling couple made hard to find, even with the massive criminal activity in Echo.

"Come on then," Arsenal said suddenly standing up, "let's move around. It's fucking freezing out here." Robin took his offered hand, and stood. They were soon off and running. Swinging through allies, ducking corners, laughing, racing, playing-

_Careless_.

Robin most certainly did not scream like a little girl when the roof caved in beneath their feet. Most certainly not. Roy was mostly coughing due to the concrete dust floating to the air and coating them both head to foot, but Robin swore the boy was laughing at him.

"Are you alright?" Roy chose to ask, ignoring the opportunity to poke fun at the assassin. Something like that was too easy after all. He liked his jokes to be clever, not stupid.

Robin waved his hand in front of his face and coughed a bit himself, "ya I-"

It was then that they both noticed the… _particular_ position they were in. Roy lay on top of Robin, propped up on his hands. Robin's face promptly turned bright red, "uh um Roy… uh-"

Roy blinked down at Robin and time slowed between them for a moment. The man's body hard and fit beneath him, his cheeks burning and eyes bright and full of stars. How was Roy supposed to help himself? He had always been weak to his own vices. Always, _always _giving in when he needed a fix...

Then Arsenal was _kissing_ him.

Robin tried to push him away… well, at least he would like to say he attempted, but he knew he really gave in way to easily. He remembered back to their first kiss in the Tower, and all the confusion, the dreams he'd had about the archer…

He found himself kissing back.

* * *

Dirty, cold, sore from the fall, Robin reached around and pulled Roy fully on top of him. The other boy moaned into his mouth as their groins brushed against one another. He dove his tongue into Robin's wet and whimpering mouth. Man what was he doing?

But he had just _wanted_.

Everyone knew about his philandering ways, and they weren't something he could just forget. Red had actually caught him a few times already, but the boy had just joined in with hardly a hurt glance his way.

He didn't _care_.

But of course he did, Roy was just being stupid. But it was so _good_.

It was just going to be another addiction to hide, another secret held between him and Red.

Robin gasped and threw his head back as Arsenal expertly ground his hips down against him. Slow torturous circles that had him making sounds that he shouldn't with anybody else but- "Roy…"

"Hush, Bird" Robin's eyes snapped open at that. When had they closed? But hearing someone else call him that and… _god_… they really shouldn't be… it was _wrong_… they…

But they really _had_ gotten close recently, hadn't they? Many nights shared together, and Slade had been absent so much, the small assassin missed the regular, _intense_ attention he used to get. He needed his fix, maybe that plant really had damaged him in ways he couldn't ever know…

Robins bucked up against the other hero and cried out. Why was he so _close_ already?

Roy sped up their desperate frotting, glorifying in the surprised gasps he pulled from the forbidden fruit beneath him. It was something that was never supposed to _really_ happen. But all the flirting and the jokes… _damn_… was Robin ever beautiful and he _sang_… and… _god_… he was going to get _killed_ for this… it was so dangerous…

"Please Roy, I-" Arsenal shut him up with another kiss. Talking started to make him think. He didn't _want_ to think. Roy forced his hand into Robin's black soldier pants and palmed the man's cock. It was so hot now, the frozen air around them forgotten. It was so cramped among the roof's debris.

So _exciting_.

Arsenal bit down on the assassin's neck as he came, triggering Robin's release as well. They shuddered together, holding one another close as they panted.

* * *

_Fuck that was…_

"That…" Robin started still panting heavily, "that can't happen ever again."

"I know."

…

"And no one can _ever_ know-"

"I _know_."

Robin just let it be after that, he decided to stop worrying for the time being. There was one thing that bothered him immediately though. He ran his thumb lightly over the oh-so-faint bruising on the inside of Roy's elbow. He hadn't noticed it before, never being quite this close to the archer. It could have come from anything really, but…

"I was fucking _hot_ though, wasn't it?" Roy couldn't help asking, unknowingly interrupting the other man's dangerously correct thoughts.

"Ya… ya… it was," Robin smirked and held the man tighter in his arms. Floating slowly down from his pleasured high, the image of a man snuck back in his foggy mind, and he found himself really terrified.

_Slade. I'm so sorry Slade. What am I going to do?_

They panted together in the ice and concrete. Clinging to one another as their shattered pieces of soul fell around them.

Together melting into a shadow in the darkness.

High from their fix.

But broken.

* * *

End

AN: I am really working hard to finish the final drabble in my How the Mountain Bows series. This was just something that happened so I decided to post it. Reviews are always much loved.


	7. How the Mountain Bows: Part 3

SURPRISE DEDICATION!

THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO FLYINBISON!

For your constant reviews and support. I really appreciate it.

This is foz YOU! ^.^

How the Mountain Bows:

...

Part 3

By: The Villain's Vindication

* * *

Once there was a mountain…

* * *

Waking up the next morning Richard found himself sore _everywhere_. He cracked an eye open-

"Bwah!"

And promptly fell out of bed.

"What are you-" he pointed accusingly, his rattled mind unable to form a complete sentence.

"Why sleeping... dear Robin," Slade's eye narrowed in amusement, "or I _was _anyway."

The man's face had been _right next to his_. When the hell had that happened?

Slade chuckled, looking down at his bird whom now lay at his feet, a pretty blush prickling his cheek. Last night his fury had nearly consumed him, it had been a real struggle to get a hold of himself and stagger back into the bedroom. He was still much too vulnerable to even be thinking of revenge, it wasn't like him to be so rash. Plus he still had next to no information about where he was or anything else for that matter.

So for now he rested, for now he waited.

_…for now._

He wasn't quiet evil enough to sneak into bed with the boy, but he chose to sit against the wall _innocently _close to Robin in order to sleep. Having only hope that he would wake in the morning.

Robin's sleep clouded blues glared at him, making Slade quite pleased that he had survived his wounds... so far anyway...

It was still amazing to look at the boy unmasked… well, technically he _was_ still masked. The right side of the tattered fabric had ridden up to his forehead during sleep, so its effect was quite lessened. He caught sight of a jagged scrape along the boy's collar bone, close to his neck. _Far_ too close.

The rage returned, controlled this time, at the sight of the injury. A quick glance at the boy's hands saw even worse damage there. Untended, ignored…

_Sounds familiar._

Slade lightly touched the center of his chest before standing. He offered a hand to his bird which was, of course, completely ignored. "It's time you cleaned up and finished answering my questions Robin."

"Ya, ya," the boy chirped, still disgruntled from his rude awakening. "I have to run and get my pack from the ship first. I forgot it there because _someone_..." he eyed Slade in a comical attempt to look menacing, "forced me back here before I could grab it."

"What pack?" Slade asked unimpressed. "The one that held my flashlight, my oxygen, my weapons? Remember?" The teen shook his head, "it has civilian clothes for the both of us inside. I thought we might need them since I wasn't even sure if you would be..." Robin blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, "I didn't know if you would even have clothes on at all in the ship. Thankfully they only seem to have taken... everything else..."

"Indeed," Slade's amused mood was shot straight down with that little reminder. He had no weapons and, bigger still, no communicator. No way to contact any allies nearby. He ran his hand through his hair.

_Morning and I'm already tired._

"Get going then, little bird. I'll wait here." Robin's blush turned slightly agitated, "is it possible for you to _not _order me around every three seconds?"

Slade's smirk returned, perhaps the day wouldn't be a total loss.

"No... I don't believe it is..." he replied, chuckling at Robin's retreating back as the boy stomped out the door.

* * *

Richard threw the jeans and t-shirt at the man's face when he returned, and then quickly ran to the shower in case Slade decided to retaliate. But honestly the man was so frustrating, he deserved it.

The room was foggy already from the steam, so Richard felt a bit safer removing his mask. He knew that the sad excuse for a disguise didn't really do a thing, but it still made him _feel_ safer. Stepping into the hot spray, he hissed as his injuries decided to make themselves known. He gently washed himself and allowed his mind to wander.

Dick could still scarcely believe his success. He had truly saved Slade's life... well mostly anyways. The assassin would have probably found a way out on his own if given enough time, but at least this way he was now indebted to Richard. The boy smirked at that. Slade's moral code was gray at the best of times, but he knew that the man would honor this debt somehow. It was probably why the man was still here. Honestly when he had passed out the night before, he fully expected to wake alone.

The man used to be completely obsessed with him, Richard knew. But, in the past year Slade had been slowly drifting away from his life. Really he should have been thankful, all other villains in Jump were _nothing _compared to Slade. He had enjoyed _not _being beat to within an inch of his life every month. But Jump without Slade was just...

It just wasn't _worth it_.

Dick has been thinking more and more as time passed that he aught to move to Bludhaven. The city needed a hero like it needed cement to continue existing. The place was really on the brink and would really be a challenge for him, a real _purpose_. But he couldn't run out on his team because he was bored, they needed a leader. He was going to stick around until there was someone to take his place.

The raven totally relaxed, letting the stream of heat flow over his aching muscles. Thoughts turning back to Slade, he remembered the man's face. A topography he had never really seen before but had always imagined. He also remembered walking with him back to the house. He had been miffed and in pain from the man's totally unnessisary attack...

He was _still _miffed about that...

But it hadn't gone beyond his notice that he came up to the man's eye now. He hadn't seen Slade in so long, and he had grown so much recently, it was like an out of body experience to actually be able to look the man in the face.

_What a trip._

He turned off the water, not wishing to linger to long in case Slade decided to start poking around the house and something... unfortunate... occurred. He slipped on his own jeans and shirt and headed back to the room. When opening the door to the bedroom, he really should have prepared himself, but the sight of Slade in jeans was just...

_I'm so fucked._

The man was sex, all relaxed with bare feet, so _real _and not robotic with his cogs and metal as Dick was so accustomed to.

_Fuck_.

He just stood there halfway in the doorway. His new mentality of "no more why's" had lead to plenty of self admissions that had for so long been repressed, such as the fact that Slade really _was _important to him. And... the fact that he was drawn to the man in almost _every _way. Hell, he had gone to freaking _outer-space_ for him... perhaps it was time he admitted to himself that it was all... something more.

"Slade," he finally got out, nodding at the man and attempting to sound as professional as he could. It wouldn't do to let the criminal in on his thoughts. "You had more questions for me?"

"Indeed," Slade smirked and pat the bed space next to him, an obvious order for Robin to sit. The boy rolled his eyes, the man was so infuriating sometimes.

But he went and sat as directed.

He didn't think too much on what that meant.

* * *

They had been speaking for awhile, the sun finally up to a part of the sky when ordinary citizens woke up. And they were to deep in conversation to hear the approaching footsteps. The creaking of the door, however, quickly grabbed their attention.

"No, Jericho wait a-" but Richard was much too late in his command as the blonde stepped into the room.

That name ejected all else that had occupied Slade's mind.

_It couldn't be…_

_..._

All hell broke loose.

Dick learned very quickly that you apparently don't _need_ functioning vocal cords in order to _scream_.

Slade launched himself towards Jericho and Robin was terrified he was going to _kill_ him and he didn't have any time to _react_ and…

Slade effectively pinned the small boy up against the wall, "Jo-Jericho! Listen to me. Listen to me!" Jericho's face was bright red from the screaming and Richard was certain he had never seen such unabashed _hate_ portrayed on a face before. This was… this was so much more than he had even thought to fear of the encounter.

_They know each other?_

"Robin close your eyes!" Slade shouted. "What? But Jericho would never-" Robin was shocked at the thought.

"Do it!" his glare demanded obedience and Richard couldn't have keep his eyes open for anything after that. "Jericho, Robin doesn't know!" the blonde vigorously struggled against the man's hold, but at least he stopped screaming at the new information. "He doesn't know anything. The decision to come he was made while I was unconscious. I would never-"

Slade was cut off by a particularly fierce snap of Jericho's arm and the boy broke free, running to the opposite coner of the room.

Near Robin.

"Jericho, I would never have allowed him to come here if I had known. He didn't betray you. He has no idea that…" there was a… pain in Slade's voice that made something lodge in Richard's throat. He had never heard such emotion from the man. "That… you were hiding from me…"

Jericho seemed to have gone a bit mad though and didn't listen a lick to Slade. He rushed forward and pulled Robin off the bed towards him. The shock of the feeling of falling made Richard's eyes snap open, and that was all it took. Slade stood frozen, totally at a loss in a situation so thoroughly out of his control. He listened with dread as Robin's body hit the floor.

He knew what would come next.

"YOU!" Robin-now-Jericho popped up from the ground. "YOU!" The boy seemed so shocked and angry that the sheer number of things he wished to say seemed to clatter around in his mouth, making it impossible for anything intelligible to get out. So instead, he attacked.

Clumsy and unused to the body, Slade quickly had him pined again, though the struggle had reopened his wound and he now fell like throwing up… again. Not to mention the mental shock of _finding his son alive_.

But being restrained seemed to give Jericho even more fuel, "Get out of my HOUSE! Get OUT you MONSTER!"

"Alright!" Slade screamed in reply, too sick and exhausted and upset to do otherwise. "I'll leave, okay? I'll go… and I'll forget this place." Jericho looked over his shoulder in obvious skepticism. "I will. I'll never return," Slade paused, finally able to take a breath. He looked down at 'Robin,' the boy's face twisted and ugly with a murderous rage that did not belong there. "I will not look for you ever again Jericho… if you let Robin stay." Blue eyes narrowed in interest.

"Robin is still the blindly heroic leader you know him to be. He's not a traitor. He doesn't know anything about us…" Slade dropped off again in memory… in regret, "let him stay to recover, at least a few days. He's been through a lot."

"And what, you care?" Jericho asked poisonously. Slade's grip was already loosening its hold. He had to get out of there fast before his boy noticed his weakness. Already, he could feel the beginnings of blood, having saturated the bandages, leaking out onto his shirt. But Jericho, in his near psychotic state didn't recognize the opening, "what is it? Robin your new toy then? Don't think for a second I don't know what you did to Rose! What you couldn't find me so you just-"

"Enough!" Slade belted over the babble like whip, "…enough boy. I'll go. Leave Robin out of this. It's between us and he's got nothing to do with it…"

Jericho finally, _finally_, seemed to come to. Robin's eyes cleared up a bit as it got through to Jericho that he was being serious. The blonde relaxed and looked to the side, leaving Robin's body back to his own. Slade quickly caught the Robin before he collapsed to the ground.

The poor raven, looked up from Slade's arms completely at a loss. He had been aware of everything going on while Jericho possessed him, but it was foggy and filtered. But he could never forget the sound of Slade's voice when he talked to the other boy.

Panicked and frustrated... but then...

Defeated... caring even.

_He's never spoken to ME like that before_.

He pushed Slade away weakly and stood, looking over at Jericho. The boy was younger than him, perfect golden curls and strange green eyes. Could it be that...? Had they been...?

Confusion and jealosy bloomed angry and hot in his chest.

_"Robin doesn't know anything" ..."He's got nothing to do with it."_

Robin flew out the door.

* * *

And a young voice sang to it...

* * *

_Well isn't this once hell of a cock up?_

Slade actually allowed himself a moment of breakdown and rested his head in his palm. Sighing, his mind had a heyday.

He had seen the look on Robin's face as he fled.

_Betrayal_.

And his _son_, god... what a day...

The blonde had run from the room and, presumably, from the house entirely. He was probably climbing to some mountain top at the moment.

He massaged his temples and sat down on the bed. He had to get out of the house fast to protect Robin from Joey, that much was clear. But what was also clear, he looked down at his shirt now dripping blood, was that he was completely unable to do so. No equipment, no communication, the JL and for all he knew an entire alien race after him, plus a completely open and untreated wound...

He wouldn't get far.

He would have to negotiate for at least one more day here. Robin would be his best ally in this... or he would have been anyways.

That would have to be the first problem tackled then...

After stopping the bleeding of course...

* * *

Richard just had to get out into the fresh air and sunshine after that fiasco.

_So much worse than I had ever imagined._

He collapsed in the waving grass and hid his head.

_What have I done?_

_What had SLADE done? It must have been something terrible... something unforgivable..._

Well Slade had certainly done plenty of that, where to being? Had the man killed Jericho's parents? That seemed the most likely candidate, and yet, the two were more familiar with one another than that. _Too _familiar...

Had they been-? Where they-?

_"Robin doesn't know anything."_

Wasn't that the god damned truth of it? He... he cared about this man, and he didn't even know his _fucking name_...

Dick's hand flew to his mouth in an attempt to muffle his sobs, hot tears spilling over his fingers and onto the earth. His shoulders trembled, as so many emotions hit him at once. Why was it always like this around Slade? Jericho had been nothing but soft and mild but he turned into a monster the moment Slade stepped into the picture. It was something like Terra all over again, which brought up a whole other set of complexes.

_If it's always been about me, why her? ...Why Jericho?_

_Had they been-?_

Richard knew, he always knew, that Terra had loved Slade. Truely. He knew that devotion like that only came from an honest love of the man...

_I should know..._

And he also suspected... he was fairly certain... that the man actually _slept _with Terra, multiple times.

_All for manipulation. All for control. And she ended up DEAD. He probably planned this whole thing and I'm just to stupid to lift myself up and away from his mess... away from his ruin..._

A hand lay on his shoulder and his neck snapped like a viper, his glare lethal on Slade. "YOU-"

"Taking a leaf from Jericho's book are we?" Slade calmly sat down next to his bird, careful of the ruffled feathers. "Surely you could be more original-"

"Slade, I swear if you don't give me some fucking answers right now I'll-" Slade caught the finger that had been pointed in his face in a tight grip, "watch yourself boy." His stern tone seemed to catch on to something ingrained in Robin. The boy began breathing slowly, angrily wiping the tear tracks from his face. He continued to glare suspiciously at Slade though, his head to full of conspiracies to think straight yet.

"I will answer your questions as best I can, Robin. You've been forthcoming with me so far on this... adventure... it is only right that I do the same by you."

The great noise in Richard's mind died down just a bit at that. He reigned in his torrid emotions and gained some semblance of control over himself.

"Who-who... W-what...?" Robin paused, he still wasn't as together as he would like to be, after a breath he finally asked "Why does Jericho hate you?"

Slade leaned back slightly, almost as though the question were a physical blow to him, "ah... always right to the point, hmn? Always the detective," Slade smiled down a little at the darkly hunched form next to him and his unrelenting glare. "Alright then," Slade sighed, "well... among too many other things... it's my fault that Jericho cannot speak."

Robin blinked up at the man in surprise, "Really? You...?" Slade shook his head, knowing what the boy thought, "no, I didn't do it. But if it weren't for me... if it weren't for my mistakes, my ego... it would have never happened. He nearly died that day from the wound." The man's eye got a far away look and he touched his bandage eye-patch absently, "I lost everything because of that day." Slade shook his head again, this time to himself, sometimes he really couldn't believe the story of his own life, "I'm also, more or less responsible for his mother's death, though that situation was infinitely more complicated."

The man seemed to be telling the truth. He could always ask Jericho to verify everything, but the boy probably wasn't in a talking sort of mood at the moment. "Okay... but how do you know him in the first place?"

Slade looked back at Robin, "that's something for him to tell you if he wishes, not me. He has much more to lose than I if the nature of our relationship is revealed." Slade's smirk was watery at best, "you can try to ask him, but I seriously doubt you'll get an answer."

Robin wasn't really listening at that point. He still couldn't get over how Slade's voice _sounded _when he spoke about the other boy. It was all he could think about. He just had to know...

"Did you... do you... love him?" Robin both feared and needed to know the answer. Slade looked at him seriously, "as best I know how, yes."

The hero clutched the jeans over his shins and buried his face in his arms. That was it then.

That was it.

_That was what? You think he can't love more than one person at a time? Don't be stupid Dick. He obviously thinks... something... of you..._

_He thinks you're a stupid hero, that's what he thinks._

_Maybe it's time you stepped up and showed him otherwise?_

Slade, for once, didn't have a clue what his little bird was thinking. It was obvious though that the boy was anguished, "Robin..." Slade set his hand back on boy's shoulder. Richard straightened his back and cleared his throat, "I'm... erm, sorry about that." The boy looked at the man sheepishly, wiping the tears from his eyes. "It's been a rough few days hasn't it?"

Slade actually outright laughed at that, it was so surprising that Richard couldn't help but join him. It felt good and helped pull him from his dark well of thought.

_Yes, it was time for action, not analyzing, not second guessing. I thought I was already over such things. It's time to show him that I'm worth something more._

"I guess I should go find Jericho, huh?" Richard suggested, ready to help fix this situation he screwed up royally. Slade nodded, "yes, you need to convince him, somehow, to let me stay tonight. I'll sleep out here in the grass if need be, but I can't leave the area so unsupplied and unprepared." Richard slowly stood, smiling down at the man as he began his search, "I'm sure I can get you one more night."

* * *

It was near sunset by the time Robin returned hours later. He was alone, Slade noted. Jericho probably wouldn't return until he was gone from his home. Due to the cold, and his lack of appropriate attire, Slade had returned to the bedroom where they had spent the previous night. Robin entered the room with a tentative smile on his face, "well, I'm _pretty _sure you won't be killed in your sleep... maybe..."

Slade sighed, it was truly saddening how much his son had grown to hate him, "well that's a bit better than nothing then." Robin stood leaning against the wall, rubbing his numb arms in an attempt to warm back up. "Hey... are you still, you know, open to questions?"

The man's smirk returned, he knew his little bird's curiosity was insatiable. He had actually been surprised how easily he had gotten off earlier. But obviously now was time for some payback. "Yes... I suppose I am," he drawled. Robin looked out the window, plucking at a string on his shirt sleeve.

"So… I was wondering… maybe… could I get an explanation about the whole… apprentice thing? The Terra thing?"

Slade had seen this one coming for a long time now, "still not over that are we?" he started.

Robin simply shook his head, still unable to look at the man.

"Comradery," Slade sighed, resting an arm on his raised knee, "especially comradery I can trust is something I haven't found much of in this life… In recent years it's something I've been forced to… steal… just like everything else…" his voice sounded almost wistful. "You've spent your life attempting to be independent. I just seek the opposite, it's not that mysterious. Of course I had to keep my... _hobby_... a secret in the beginning, because I had people to protect. ...I don't have that problem anymore." Slade looked down at the quilt underneath his hand. "I wasn't always Deathstroke the Terminator, you know," he almost smiled, "once I was just Slade Wilson."

_Slade Wilson._

The name was tucked quietly into Richard's heart where it blossomed. It was all to much, all the action and emotion, it was enough to break him.

Enough to make him finally give in.

"Well you didn't have to steal it this time, huh?" Richard smiled at him, blushing slightly. Slade returned his glance, slightly confused. Richard stood, "I'm sure we can come to some sort of truce, ya? You agree to stop attacking me while we're here…" he grimaced as he rolled his injured shoulders, "and I'll think about letting you off the hook once and awhile when we get back to Jump." Slade rolled his eye, but found himself smirking in amusement, "you sure you want me back in your city?" he asked with a raised brow.

Dick suddenly turned serious. He walked up to Slade and hesitantly brushed his fingers along Slade's palm. "Do you… do you really need to ask?" Those dusky navy eyes looked up into the merc's face, scared and impossibly vulnerable.

_Well damn… this wasn't supposed to happen…_

Slade found himself, oddly, morally compromised, yet another position he was not familiar with that his perfect bird saw fit to make him unwittingly endure. "Robin… I-"

The young man took hold of the hand he had touched and brought it around himself and pushed it underneath his shirt, sliding it up his own back. "Shut up Slade," he whispered in the man's ear.

What else could he do? Slade sat up, pulled Robin that final distance closer, and kissed him.

The guilt was already eating him alive, even before anything was done. He knew exactly where this path lead. He couldn't have Robin's blood on his hands like all the others. He wouldn't _allow_ it, but… here was this beautiful, sweet, powerful, young, _perfect_ gift offering itself to him…

What else could he possibly have done?

Richard took it upon himself to slide into Slade's lap, straddling the man. Slade smirked into the kiss.

_Always impatient, Robin._

The boy's movements were embarrassed and unsure, but he knew, at least, how to _say_ what he wanted.

"_Touch_ me Slade," Robin panted, "please just… touch me."

Slade was amazed that such simple words could fill him with so much… so much what? He didn't want to examine it too closely. Their shirts disappeared without their notice and soon Robin was on his back. The soft quilts pillowed around him like a cloud.

Slade moved, gentle and organic, in a specific attempt to not startle his bird. Robin's eyes soon fogged over, mesmerized, and he forgot any skittishness he might have had.

As the sunlight filtered through the dusty room, in the quiet and stillness, Slade _touched_ Robin. They moved together, the young man's jeans still dangling from his right calf, swaying with their motion. Slade glorified in every gasped breath and every muffled sound Robin gave to him.

Even as entranced as he was, Slade was aware that he couldn't let the boy see his wounds, so he left most of his clothing on. Thankfully Robin didn't seem to even notice.

Suddenly the little noises became something more intelligible, "mmn… hu… it's… it's Richard… ah…" Slade's eyes widened a bit at the revelation, but quickly got caught up again in watching those far-away eyes roll up in _Richard's_ head. His black hair mussed from sliding back and forth along the staticy quilting.

"Richard…"

"Slade!" he cried out and grasped the merc's arms as his back bowed near enough to break. "Robin," Slade whispered into the thick air, not far behind in following the boy to finish.

Dick lay panting in awe of what had just happened. Softness was not something he had ever expected from Deathstroke, but it was so… it was so…

He curled up into the man's chest, both of them now resting on their sides. This dangerous and deadly man held him in his arms like he was something precious about to break. He had never had _anything_ like this, he had never been treated so…

Tears began to weal up along the edges of his eyes before his mind had any say in the matter. Overwhelmed by so many conflicting emotions. "Slade…" he splayed the fingers of his small hand over Slade's heart.

Both of them wondered if time would ever move forward from that moment.

* * *

And to this, the mountain did bow.

* * *

Darkness had fallen a few hours ago, and his perfect bird slept beside him as Slade kept watch. He had found a phone while the two boys were gone and had set it in the room. He decided now was the best time to take advantage of it.

Slade moved a lock of hair from Robin's face while he waited for the office he dialed to pick up. Finally the ringing stopped, "Yes, yes here 31550324, Gamma Epsilon, yes, no… I need to speak to the President of the United States. Yes, I'm serious… yes, believe me just tell him who it is, he'll talk to me."

Some chuckling could be heard in the background, "Wilson, it's been awhile."

Slade smirked, "indeed it has."

"Man Slade you're in it deep this time. It's total chaos up there. The Justice League is nuts, near flat out war. They've got a ground crew out to find you and your accomplice." Slade's headache returned with the news. Looking over to the peacefully sleeping boy, he couldn't help but touch his face once again. It would tear him apart to find out his actions caused so much damage. "Yes that's a part of why I called. I have no accomplice, it was one of my robotic soldiers. Obviously more advanced, but equally obviously beyond the long arm of the law." The men chuckled quietly, "I want you to make that public knowledge. I broke out on my own."

"Yes of course, though I can't help but to think that's not why you called. After all, you can spread around the… _truth…_ of your escape just as well as I, just as well a penny reporter in fact."

Slade sighed, almost in disbelief at what he was about to do. He was giving up so much _leverage_, it felt akin to killing his favorite pet, "I'm afraid I have to call in that favor, Victor…"

"Oh?" the other man turned serious. "Yes, I assume you've traced this call?" Slade asked.

"Of course."

"Good," the merc replied, "then you know our exact coordinates. Tell me." Quickly memorizing the numbers he continued, "I want this spot and everything around for two hundred miles to drop off the map. Radar, satellite images, radio, all official maps, everything… even this telephone number do not, and never have, existed. Not even to you Mr. President."

"That's quite a tall order Deathstroke."

He smirked, "don't disappoint me." The man on the line seemed to sigh in relief, he probably was. The Terminator could have asked for quite a bit more if he had wanted. It was good to finally have that vulnerability all worked out.

"She must be beautiful…"

Slade watched his bird breathe, such a simple thing and thought of his artistic son. "They are."

"They? You lucky bastard." The seriousness dissipated back to a companionable humor, "goodbye Deathstroke and good luck."

"Goodbye Mr. President," hanging up Slade slipped carefully out from underneath the covers. Robin's exhaustion had keep him asleep through all the talking, but the boy was trained to wake with the slightest prodding. It was best not to push his luck. He had to head out as soon as possible. He knew the president would keep his word, so he should be able to the friendly military camp close by in Argentina. That was the plan anyways, it had been a long time since he had come this far south. He had no idea if they would still be 'friendly' to him when he got there, but it was literally his only option.

But the important thing was that Robin... _Richard _would be safe.

And that would always be worth the risk.

Slade pulled out a piece of thin metal from his pocket, he had just enough time before dawn to finish up his little project, collect supplies, and head down the mountain.

He set to work.

* * *

Richard huffed at the sun as it saw fit to flood his face with light _far _to early in the morning, even for him. He grumbled angrily and turned onto his other side.

And was promptly fully awake.

Slade was gone.

"Slade?" he whispered into the chill air. He looked around the room, but already knew in his heart it was to late. His eyes began to sting.

_That bastard! He left after everything that-_

Dick gripped the quilt beneath him. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. He had finally understood. They had finally...

He punched the bedding, his heart shattering. He felt like he was physically falling and there was a terror that riped at his chest that he couldn't run away from or reason out.

Heartbreak was always like that, he had heard.

When he hit the bed, something bounced up and caught the morning sunlight. Through his tears, Richard saw a glimpse of it and caught it in the air. It was a small piece of metal. Wiping his eyes to see more clearly, the object in his hand was sharp, incredibly so, and shaped like a stylized bird.

_A bird-a-rang._

But so much different than the plastic kind Bruce produced for him, this thing was obviously lethal. His hand was already bleeding from having carelessly handled it before he knew what is was. He just barely recognized the metal itself, it was a part of the spaceship he and Slade had flown to freedom in. So it was incredibly strong, and able to withstand crazy amounts of heat. It was also... kind of symbolic in an accidental sort of way.

In addition to the overall bird shape, on one side there was a Slade style S carved across the surface. Richard, more careful of the edges this time, turned it over to inspect the other side. His tears quickly returned full force as he read the engraving: To Save You.

The man was honoring his life debt to Robin, the boy knew, he could read what Slade left out.

_To save you from myself._

But that's not what he wanted! He had known what he was getting into. He knew that everyone who got close to Slade, everyone who matter to the man, went insane, or was murder or _both_. He knew that and he had chosen the man anyways, and how _dare _he...

How dare he chose to be noble, now of all times.

_I can't let this be the end._

Richard fell back onto the blankets, clutching the weapon close to his chest. Ther would be no point in rushing out to catch the man. When Slade decided to go off the grid, no one, not even Robin, could find him. His thumb ran gently over and back again across the S.

_Man I am so far gone, this is tragic._

The boy shook his head at himself. Was this better? Knowing that the man did care about him but had chosen to leave anyway? Richard heart still felt filleted though, so he supposed he would never know.

He twitched violent when the door sung open. Jericho scanned the room with a foul look on his face, no longer even pretending to be cordial. Once he was sure Slade had gone he threw something at Richard and stormed back out of the room. Dick easily snatched the object from the air with one hand, even subconsciously unable to let go of the shuriken held in his other.

"Robin!" a chorus of voices called in unison from what he found out was the Titan Communicator he had given to Jericho all that time ago. He supposed going back on his promise not to tell anyone of Robin's whereabouts and exposing his unmasked face to his friends were the showings of passive aggression from Jericho. Richard was almost thankful that this was the worst the boy had seen fit to deal him after all he had done.

"Dude! Your mask!" regardless of the real reason behind it, Richard was actually glad to see his team. "Ya I kinda... lost it..." he shrugged lamely, far to emotionally shaken to think up a good lie. He hoped his eyes and face weren't red enough to be noticed by the others. He had to wear his leader mask for the moment, his mourning would have to some later.

"BB, do you remember when you traveled to Jericho's home in the mountains? Do you remember where that was?" he asked the changeling. Beastboy nodded eagerly, "sure I do. I had to climb forever. It felt like I'd never reach the top!" Robin faked a laugh, unable to muster up any real humor, "I'll bet. I only had to fall a few seconds from the sky to hit it, but that is where I am now. Do you think you could come here and pick me up? The T-Jet is... uh... history now if you know what I mean."

Cyborg started to throw a tantrum in the background so Starfire drug him of-screen. "Sure dude, I can be there in a day or so!" the green boy threw him a peace sign and left to help Starfire with Cyborg. Honestly before the start of the conversation he had no idea how he was going to get home. Richard guessed he owed Jericho for that too. He also hadn't thought about the T-Jet or even much about returning to Jump... not alone anyways.

He was going to have to face Bruce about all this soon as well. Especially if there was any chance to get another T-Jet. The man might _think _about buying a new one after killing him... twice. God... the fallout from what he had done was going to run him into the ground. Could he still be a hero after this? He knew his friends would accept him no matter what, but the JL? Jump City? It was going to be hell returning to face the mess he made.

But runing his thumb along the blade still clutched his hand, slicing it open so cleanly he didn't even feel it, he knew...

_There are worse things..._

_..._

Far in the distance a white head of hair disappeared into the green of the valley below.

* * *

Once there was a mountain...

* * *

END

I wanted to make it ambiguous and look like Slade actually died at the ending, but it just didn't work out.

Whew, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! It feels really good to get this finished, it has literally been in my head for at least three years now. I almost can't believe it's over. Maybe I can finally think about something other than Sladin now! ... probably not... lol. Well I hope you enjoyed it, please leave a review if you did. If you ever have any ideas or suggestions for further drabbles please post them in your reviews! Much love to you all!


	8. The Fighting Life

The Fighting Life

...

By: The Villain's Vindication

* * *

_When you live a fighting life,_

Slade looked down the barrel of his gun, no need for a scope.

_There is only one way out._

_One way._

It was a simple job, some richy wanted some other richy dead.

The usual fare.

Ordinary.

The boy was running though, he would have to make it quick.

Already the figure was too far away for a guaranteed head shot.

He aimed for the heart through the boy's back.

Two shots and he was off.

Gotham was not a place to loiter.

The Caped Crusaders were everywhere.

…

Dick knew it was now; he knew he had signed his fate.

He still ran though, always flying, always winging, always Robin…

The bullets tore through him in silence, their origin so far away.

His white Armani shirt red.

Red Robin.

His eyes drifted closed, peaceful, as someone screamed.

Screaming Gotham, screaming for the Bat.

_Not for me, not really._

…

Slade attended the funeral. It made him sick, made him insane.

Droves in black hid a disguised Starfire, an unmasked Batman.

Robin.

Slade had never committed suicide before.

Now, he supposed, he had.

His bird.

_I can pay you more money than you've ever dreamed, just make it quick._

_Make it beautiful._

The old man felt his age for once. Time the enemy again.

He lay his gun by the grave.

Finally outsmarted.

Tricked.

Fooled.

_There is only one way out._

_One way out of the fighting life._


	9. Yield

AN: This takes place in a universe after the ending of the cartoon. Here Addie, Joey, and Grant are all dead, and Rose never existed.

Yield

By: The Villain's Vindication

* * *

Second chances are events treasured by most people. They rarely come and when the do, they oft go by unnoticed, like wisps of smoke. Deathstroke's life, however, was so saturated with second chances that he no longer noticed them at all. If ever he made a mistake, he had an eternity in which to correct it. And when mistakes so severe that even his life would end became essentially irrelevant once he revived, it's no wonder that his life had become a continuum of errors.

It's also no wonder that he hadn't noticed.

He relied on his mental prowess for all things, but even his genius mind was succumbing to lazy thinking as his life, lived for so long, began to become repetitious. It was likely that this ability to essentially ignore his faults that kept him sane after all the pain and horror experienced in his life.

Mostly at his own hands.

Yes, second chances were everywhere for Slade, but in order to get his attention, in order to be significant, they had to be more than a wisp of smoke.

They had to be explosions.

Slade was currently investigating a building in Gothem... when it exploded.

* * *

"..wha?"

"Quiet," a harsh whisper from above him prompted Slade to open his eyes. Though he couldn't recall ever closing them.

"...Robin?" The Boy Wonder looked down and shushed him again before looking around nervously. "Hush, I think we're being followed." Slade was immediately and intensely confused.

_Robin's here... but wasn't I in Gothem? Or maybe I made it back to Jump... who would be following us?_

_And..._ Looking down at his blood covered fingers, his dazed vision suddenly sharpened in shock. _Why am I so... small?_

Robin began moving him then, stringing his arm around Slade's waist. "We have to get moving," the boy whispered, "Batman should be heading them off now, but I can't risk him seeing you." Slade wrapped his arm around Robin's shoulders and used all the strength he had to pull himself up as the boy stood. "Why can't Batman know about me?" Slade asked, feeling the familiar stick of blood on his face as he spoke.

"Well because if I saw what I think I saw... I think that you are Deathstroke, and... for some reason I want to help you." The boy smiled sarcadonically and Slade immediatly saw that he was essentially saved on a sheer whim of a child.

_Child._

He surveyed his battered and bloodied body more extensively now that he stood.

He was the same height as Robin.

_What the bloody fuck? _Looking back at the boy as they struggled together to get moving, "did I, am I in the past? or is this some other dimension?" Robin readjusted them so they could more comfortably move, and they walked silently together until they were in the cover of a alleyway's shadow. Then he turned to his former master with a pitying look that Slade had never see him use before.

"Slade... I'm afraid it's much worse than that... I think that you... well... that you've been made a kid again..."

* * *

_To Be Continued Hopefully..._

A.N. I don't have a plot for this so suggestions would be nice, so please review.


	10. Yield: Part 2

Yield (Part 2)

By: The Villain's Vindication

* * *

Slade took the flask of water Robin offered. He was quite used to the most improbable things happening to him, but this.

"I have my eye back," Slade said touching his face again in wonder. Robin's snarky grin final found its proper place on his face again, "hey, so you do. Maybe it isn't all bad then, hmn?"

The white haired boy sighed and took a swig of the cold water. "What did you see Robin?"

The boy sobered up at the question, and moved to sit on the cement beside Slade. "Well, I just caught a glimpse really. I thought I saw you at the door of the lab when it exploded. I really thought it was too late for you…" he accepted the bottle of water back from Slade and took a drink himself. He was no less shaken by all this than Slade was.

"I was blown back by the explosion, but I saw that directly in the line of your, well, what was left of you, there was some kid across the street. With all the mixing of chemicals and your own powers… somehow it just all hit right that there was a bit more left of him than there was of you. I guess you kinda, took over his skeleton or something, rebuilding yourself on it. I was knocked out for a good while, so I'm not sure how long it took you to recover this much."

"I feel as though I haven't recovered at all," he honestly didn't. It was as though all the blood was gone from his body. He hadn't felt so weak and out of sorts since his forced mutation by the military. Even his own voice surprised him for it had taken on a much younger timber as well. A multitude of thoughts ran through his mind as he contemplated his situation. None of his business associates would recognize him now and no one would send some anonymous boy on high rank assassination missions. His base in Jump would attack him if he approached, he knew. All the security was keyed into his voice. Plus most of his money was set up in foreign accounts that one had to personally visit in order to retrieve funds.

"Well… this fucking sucks," he chuckled weakly. As long as he was a teen once more he might as well speak like one. "I suppose I owe you now. Why are you in Gothem anyways? Finally tire of your little Power Ranger friends?"

Robin just rolled his eyes at that, "Batman called me in for a mission. He's had to do that lately as… well…"

"As Robin number two is no longer, let's say, 'active'" Slade nodded remembering hearing somewhere that the Bat had been a bit more violent lately. Apparently he was running off his hinges at the loss of his replacement Wonder Boy. "How do you know about that?" Robin asked quietly. "Everybody knows about it Robin." The boy nodded in acquiescence. Slade always did seem to know everything about everyone after all.

"So, I guess you really are Deathstroke then?" looking at him a bit wearily for the first time.

Slade just shrugged, "there's no use in denying it. Who else could have survived that besides me anyway? Survival is my superpower after all." Robin laughed a bit, both now more worried and relieved.

What was he going to do with a mini-Slade? Take him to jail? He pinched the bridge of his nose and furrowed his brow at that. No one but he had any proof at all as to the true identity of the boy, and Slade was a master liar. He most likely wouldn't reveal himself as such to anyone else. He had always seemed to have some bizarre psychokiller soft spot for Robin, which was probably the only reason he was now telling him the truth.

That, or the explosion had knocked him barmy.

Because it had clearly done terrible damage to Robin's own intellect. "Why don't you come back to Jump with me?" the words fell out of his mouth like they were from someone else. "You need a safe place to recuperate, and I need to find out more about what happened. That explosion was no accident."

"Are you suggesting," Slade said slowly, a devious smirk twitching the corners of his mouth, "that I come and 'hang' with you in Titan's Tower? Be a Teen Titan now that I'm of appropriate age?"

Robin's face lit up in a blush. He had known it was ridiculous when he suggested it, but Slade's damn drawl made everything he said sound infantile in comparison. This new age shift had, apparently, done nothing to change that.

Slade took a deep breath to clear his mind. Really he already knew what he was going to say. Really he had no other choice, and as he watched his little bird turn ever more red, he knew there might be some fun to have with all this mess. "Alright Robin. I'll do it."

* * *

Slade stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing his hair dry with a towel. He felt better now that he was clean of blood and debris, but he could already tell it would be some time before he was back to his old self again.

Or his young self, as it were.

He had embarrassingly passed out on the jet ride back to Jump. So it was no surprise that he didn't recall Robin stopping for new clothes for him. The baggy black jeans and, mockingly, black Batman t-shirt had lain folded on the sink. Slade couldn't believe he was actually wearing the thing. He tugged at it uncomfortably as it was also a bit to tight, but he supposed he was lucky Robin got him anything at all.

He stood out in the hallway for a moment. It had been quite some time since he was last in the tower and this was the first time he had no plans in mind. He hardly ever worked off the seat of this pants, but in this situation there was no avoiding it.

He sighed again and walked towards the main room. He needed food and could only pray there was something besides day old pizza.


	11. Yield: Part 3

Yield (Part 3)

By: The Villain's Vindication

* * *

Robin knew he was making a mistake.

There was just no way to justify bringing his archenemy into his home, sheltering him, healing him.

There was just no way this would turn out well.

Slade had made it quite clear that he was all about power and metal and blood and pain. There was no good in him, nothing selfless anyways. Robin did remember how many times Slade had saved his life, saved the world, but the man's heart was black, no two ways about it.

But they were the same.

In the same manner Slade saw evil in Robin, the boy could see the potential for real good in the villain. Robin sighed, it was too late to go back now at any rate. He had been surprised when the man... well, boy... had actually taken him up on his offer. Slade must really be in a bad way, Robin thought, to ask for his help. The hero turned to his team, an explanation for their newest member already flooding his tongue.

Good thing he was such a good liar.

* * *

The double doors hissed open when Slade walked in. His eyes were heavy with fatigue, but he really needed to eat before resting. Otherwise he would have never braved a visit with the Teen Titans as weak as he was.

"Hello new friend!" the Star Bitch flew up to him in greeting, thankfully her crushing hug was aborted by Robin's quick hand. "Starfire no, remember I told you he was hurt?"

Slade frowned at that. He never liked the idea that people new he was injured, even when it was true. He steeled his mind though for his real concern. He glanced over to Raven. She would no doubt be the hardest to decieve. In fact it was possible she already knew of her perfect leader's most recent betrayal. Slade couldn't help but smirk at that, but he tried to turn it more tired looking than sinister.

"Yes, I'm sorry but introductions will have to wait. I'm starved," Slade winced internally at his language, but it was necessary to his new guise as a teen. He wobbled when a heavy hand from Cyborg came down on his shoulder, "no worrys man, Rob told us all about you already."

Slade turned and raised a disbelieving eyebrow at Robin. The boy was warming up a hamburger and corn on the cob in the microwave to distract himself from Slade's scrutiny. But he couldn't hold down the blush at the other boy's gaze.

"I hope he didn't tell you everything," Slade said trying to smile. Robin wasn't stupid, he knew, so his identity was safe for now.

Beastboy jumped up into his face, a look of awe in his large eyes, "he told us you killed Deathstroke! Is it true? That's awwwwwesome!" the boy said without waiting for reply.

Slade was impressed with Robin's solution, just like always. "It's true. Slade won't be bothering Jump or anywhere else anymore," Slade said meaningfully.

"You remind me of someone," came a dark voice from behind the Green Kid. Slade saw Robin freeze in the midst of setting the food on the table. He too had wondered how they would slip this one past Raven. "You aren't Red X are you?"

Slade honestly laughed at that, though it was more in relief than anything. At the moment he knew he wouldn't survive an attack by the girl. "No, no. This isn't my normal choice of costume but I don't do the whole cape thing."

Raven nodded slowly, still suspicious. It was clear they would have to be careful around her.

He disintangled himself from the group and walked over to join Robin. The boy had made dinner for himself as well having missed it working in Gothem. As he sat next to him Robin smiled tentatively, "I told them all about how you worked with me in secret these past months as a spy. Slade never did have any luck with loyalty in there apprentices, did he?"

Ah, so he was a treacherous Deathstroke apprentice who had finally brought the criminal down for good. It made for a good story, but Slade was still concerned as to what Robin had named him, so to speak. Well best to be straight forward, the more he acted like Robin the faster the other's would come to trust him as well. He knew the apprentice bit would not help him there as they had been betrayed by a 'former' apprentice once before.

"Didn't tell them my name, did you?" he asked quietly.

Robin shook his head minutly, "I just told them your _hero_ name. It made sense because none of us go by our real names here anyways." The boy smirked at the slight.

"I'm not going to like this am I?" Slade mumbled, taking a bite of hamburger. He remembered Robin already put him in a Batman shirt. He could only pray the boy hadn't given him any matchingly Batty names.

Robin laughed at the look on the other's face, "I thought about It Seems You Can't Kill Me Lad and Reincarnation Kid, but I told them your name's Striker. I hope that's okay?"

Slade nodded in relief, "that sounds about right."

The pair turned there heads at the sound of shuffling feet. Beastboy and the others stood in a group with a worrisome smile on their faces.

"It's just that, well you two seem so _familiar_ with one another, so _confortable_. And, there's no reason for Robin to keep your spy mission a secret from us unless..." they boy's face changed into a leer, "you're his secret boyfriend."

Robin's face ripened into a giant red tomato, "I told you guys a million times I don't have a secret boyfriend!" he yelled, slamming his hands on the table as he stood.

Slade was going to kill them all now, Robin was sure.

"But he's just your type Robin!" Starfire clapped. Slade looked up at Robin, raising his eyebrow. He didn't think it was possible but the boy's _hair_ was turning red.

Robin sputtered at Slade's look. The man was laughing at him! He just knew it!

"_NO_ guys... just... _no_." Robin shoved them out of the room, "go to bed, you guys earned yourself and early training session for that!"

"Aww maaaaaaaaan!" Beastboy's complaint made in through the doors as they slipped closed. Robin banged is forehead against the metal. He just couldn't believe that had just happened!

"Well that was informative-"

"Don't. Say. Anything."

"-though no surprise really. One question though." Slade asked from behind the poor boy.

"...What Slade?" Robin replied with trepidation. He could only imagine what all Slade thought about him being gay.

"Where is my room? I should get some rest now if I'm to be ready for training in the morning." Slade struggled to hide his amusement when Robin collapsed bonelessly to the floor in relief at his change in topic. He loved to torment his bird, but he was honestly about three seconds from blacking out again.

"Up the stairs and down two doors on the left," Robin supplied from the floor.

* * *

Robin was shocked when he awoke the next morning and the Tower was still intact and all his friends were still alive. It seemed Slade was being honest the night before about not causing trouble.

For now.

His team was running trials on the course until their feet bled though for the truths _they_ spill last night. Robin looked away from them to Slade who was stretching slowly off to the side. The mercenary was clearly unused to the form his now fit in, and it was oddly endearing to see the powerhouse so awkward. Robin knew he aught to savor the moment for he knew it wouldn't last.

It was several minutes before he realized he was admiring the corded muscles of the other boy's arm.

He flushed and turned his attention back to his team, but his mind wouldn't let him. Slade was attractive, there was simply no way around it. The assassin was only the tiniest bit taller than himself but was much more... filled out than he was. Now that he wasn't half dead, Robin could see that he had truly become a miniature form of his former self. His white hair was longish, hanging down into his smoke colored eyes.

Whatever other genetics that unfortunate street kid might have contributed must have been flushed out of his system in the night. It was all Slade, all strong, young, sweaty, hot...

"Robin please! Can we stop now? Or are you going to keep staring at Striker like he's a piece of meat?" Beastboy's voice rudely cut into Robin's meandering thoughts.

"Twenty more laps for that!"

"Awwwww!"

* * *

Slade thought it was as freeing as it was confining in this new body. Having depth perception again after training so long without it was hindering him, but he knew he'd get used to it soon enough. There was also this issue of his age. He could feel his hot blood and noticed all his unstable moods. His immaculate control of his body and mind had been stripped from him.

Hormones, goddamn it.

But he was experienced enough to deal with them, that's what he hoped was the case anyway.

They made him _think_ things though.

His obsessive need for Robin was being corrupted like it was a physical happening. Before it had been a near fatherly need, but this body wouldn't let him think that way. His mind was turned now, and even though he was aware of it he couldn't change it.

The feeling of Robin watching him made his skin prickle.

The thought had honestly never crossed his mind before, even when he had Robin submitting at his feet as an apprentice. He had been so old already, so over such things. But now it was all he could think about.

The boy was his weakness, and he wanted that weakness now more than ever.

He turned and caught Robin's eye. He knew his own gaze was smoldering but found he didn't care as the blush on the other boy's face spread to his ears.

Hell.

He wasn't even homosexual. There was just something about that _fucking_ boy...

Maybe there had been some subconsciousness seed of this sort. There was no way something this strong could just appear. Maybe he hadn't been completely honest with himself about his greatest obsession.

* * *

Slade slipped off that evening, just for a bit. He normally never partook in any sort of drug, but tonight he thought he deserved a drink. He stole a bottle of tequila easily enough before swinging back up to the tower roof with one of Robin's grappling hooks, which he had also stolen.

Old habits and all that.

He settled down on the soft sparing mat that took up part of the roof. He opened the bottle and took a shot straight from it. Before it took quite a lot to get him drunk but he imagined that he was smaller now, with a whole new liver, it might not take much at all. He took another shot as the barest sound of footsteps approached.

"Come and join me Robin. I'm celebrating my new life," he smirked over his shoulder at the boy.

"You're not old enough to drink anymore Slade." Robin frowned crossing is arms. "Mmm," Slade hummed, taking another shot in defiance, "always the Boy Scout."

"And I'm missing a grappling hook." Slade chuckled, his chest was already beginning to warm from the drink. "Have you come looking for a fight little bird?"

Robin huffed and gave in, sitting next to the man. "No I don't want to fight, and don't call me that, not 'little bird' or-"

He swiped the bottle from Slade's hands and took a swig, "-'boy scout.' You know I'm not either of those." Slade's smirk threatened to overtake his face at the memories, "so I do."

After that they sat it silence for some time, trading the bottle back and forth between them. In the mean time Robin became quite drunk and Slade wasn't much different. Slade hadn't planned it that way, but recently he hadn't planned anything. Things just seemed to happen.

It was an interesting change.

"I dare you to take off you mask."

"What?" Robin's eyes widened in surprise.

"You head me. I dare you to take it off, or are you to chicken?" Slade said. He thought it woefully unfair that Robin got to see his face if he didn't get to see the boy;s in return. "I'm... I'm not a _chicken_," Robin slurred, "I'm a _robin_, and I only wear this stupid thing to protect Batman."

"Stupid?"

"Ya... it itches..." Slade threw his head back and laughed unabashedly. "Well then take it off. I've no beef with Batman. All my work has to do with you." Why had he added that last part, damn it? Made him sound like some pathetic fanboy.

Even if it was true.

After a moment of thinking Robin lifed his hands to his face, "...'kay, but just for you," he whispered. When he pulled it off to reveal his dark blue eyes the air between them changed somehow. Slade knew he had been given a gift just then, and his face flushed further from more than just the alcohol. Robin's blush darkened as well, "do you recognize me?"

"Robin I couldn't recognize a polyplastic beta-laser from a flashlight right now. I'm hammered," he leaned in a bit closer than he meant to look into Robin's eyes. "But I can recognized that you're beautiful."

What? Had that just come out of his mouth? Slade wanted to hit himself.

"Um... uh..." Robin was struck speechless at that, and when had Slade gotten so close? "I..." his gaze dropped to Slade's mouth, "this... uh... we shouldn't..."

"Yeah probably not. It's a terrible idea," Slade agreed but he didn't move away. Instead he lifted a hand to cup Robin's cheek, running his thumb along the still red skin from where the mask had been pulled away. "Robin, let me."

But the Boy Wonder shook his head, "I can't. What about everything you've done? I can't just-"

"Let me," Slade said more forcfully, "...please." Robin felt the bottem drop out of his stomach at that word. Was this really happening?

And then Slade got tired of asking.

He kissed Robin harshly, pushing him until he fell of his back. Slade pressed him down into the mat. There kiss was sloppy because they were both drunk, but it didn't seem to matter. It was so good. Robin whimpered, pushing against Slades chest. This was wrong for some reason but those reasons were slipping away from him as Slade tongue curled against the roof of his mouth. Robin's hand had a mind of its own as it traveled up Slade chest to the back of his head, tangling and pulling at the snowy hair.

Slade's groan was trapped in the mouths as they kissed again and again and again. Slade broke away from him for just a moment to pull his ridiculous Batman shirt off his chest. Then Robin's hand was pressed against hot muscle and he whined so perfectly. He nipped hard on Robin's ear and hitched up his shirt, running his nail across one of the boy's pink nipples.

"Let me," Slade's breath puffed humidly into Robin's ear. His other hand was hovering above Robin's belt and those were the only words he could seem to remember at the moment. Robin's sweet mouth had stolen any others from him. Robin's heated gaze turned nervous, "but I've never... I haven't..."

"Please," there was that damned word again. It sent a shiver through his small frame and he couldn't do anything but give in. He nodded and Slade unhooked his belt, opened his pants, and pushed them and his boxers down in an unrestrained hurry. Slade sat back on his knees panting. He took a look at Robin, the boy's shirt shoved to his armpits and his pants around his knees. The hero was flushed and panting, his eye glistening even in the darkness of the night. Slade pulled the tequila back into arms reach and poured a shot into the boy's belly button. Robin twitched at the cold of the drink so Slade grabbed his hips to still him. He leaned in and nibbled his way down the boy's stomach before suckling the alcohol from his soft skin.

While the boy was distracted he spilled the rest of the tequila onto his fingers. Robin was to drunk and relaxed to tense even when he felt a wet finger touching him _there_. He gripped Slade's upper arms as that teasing finger became more insistent, pressing up and, oh god, _inside_ him. Robin gasped at the feeling. Slade's brow dripped with sweat as he sunk into the boy. He was having trouble focusing with all the incredible noises the boy made. He leaned up and captured a pebbled nipple in his mouth as he worked in a second finger. Slade wedged hid free hand under Robins right knee and pushed it up towards his chest.

Robin cried out as the change in angle made Slade hit his prostate. God he was gonna cum and they hadn't even... he wanted... wanted...

"Slade, I need..." Robin wheezed as the fingers struck him again and again mercilessly. They pulled out suddenly and he was flipped around, his chest pressed into the mat. He could hear Slade opening his fly behind him and, oh gooooood.

"Slade it's too much... ngh... I can't take it," but the other boy just pressed in until their hips rested against one another. Robin's eyes rolled back in his head. Slade was huge! It was too much!

Slade's hand twisted in Robin's raven hair and pulled his head back viciously. He trust slowly only a few times before his pace became furious and had Robin screaming. Robin's mouth hung open and he could swear he felt Slade up to his _throat_. Drool crept down over his chin as he attempted to keep up with Slade's movements.

"Haaa, Slade, oh god!" Robin couldn't shut up if he tried. He felt his knees burn as they slipped on the floor. He was struggling to stay in place, struggling for breath. "Slade!"

The assassin felt more powerful now than he ever had in his life. Robin's screaming had him teetering on the edge of climax from the very start. The boy was so perfect, so tight and hot, and no one had ever touched him here before. The boy below him gave a strangled sound as he came without any touch to his own cock at all.

Slade groaned and his hips stuttered as he flipped off the edge, filling the boy with his cum. Robin moaned at the hot feeling inside him. He was already so full it wasn't fair that the feeling turned him on, even as spent as he was.

They collapsed together into a pile of messy hair and tousled clothes. Still panting heavily to catch their breath.

God that had been good.


End file.
